18 NEWS
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
$29.8M fraudulent wire transfers unearthed by GWI
O
n the heels of the multimillion-dollar fraud at a local bank involving the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) account, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is now reporting that it has unearthed almost $30 million in fraudulent wire transfers. GWI’s Board of Directors in a statement confirmed that the incident occurred at a local commercial bank and the funds amount to $29,816,932. The fraud was discovered by the water authority’s Finance Department upon reconciling accounts
for March 2021. The sum of $17,489,417 was debited from GWI’s account on March 16, 2021, while on March 24, 12,327,515 was transferred. GWI, was informed by the bank that the amounts represent payments made
via wire transfer instructions, payable to persons residing in the USA, particularly the state of New York. “The names of the recipients are Troy Robertson of 1405 Brooklyn Avenue AF2F Brooklyn Avenue, New York 11210 and Deyannera Mohamed of 1998 Pacific Street, Brooklyn NY 11216. It has been established that both signatures on the wire transfer instruction letters were forged,” the statement read. Based on accounts from the GWI, the water entity indicated that it has never conducted business with the
named individuals nor had it initiated or instructed the bank to carry out “these fictitious transactions.” The Guyana Police Force was promptly called in and is currently conducting investigations. The Police fingerprint experts have since confirmed that the signatures were forgeries. The Bank of Guyana has also been notified. On Friday, several GRA clerks were charged in relation to $19.4 million fraud involving forged cheques which were cashed at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI).
The fraud was unearthed after an employee of the Bank called GRA to confirm the issuance and the amount on the cheque that was attempting to be cashed. That was the fourth cheque as three others were already cashed. The cheques were cashed at different branches of the bank in question – one at Diamond, EBD, and the other at its Regent Street, Georgetown location. Those charged on Friday were GRA staffers Ivor Dowridge, 26, of Cummings Lodge, Georgetown; Tooqwan Clarke, 25, of West
Ruimveldt, Georgetown; Randi Gladstone, 38; and accountant Leroy Green, 26, of Kitty, Georgetown. On Tuesday, Romeschand Singh, 40, of Grove Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara (EBD); Komalram Persaud, 25, of Golden Grove, EBD; Devindra Moteeram, 24, of East La Penitence, Georgetown; Anush Khan, 29, of Diamond, EBD; and Shareesa Tappin, 26, of Clifford Avenue, Georgetown, were also charged. They are all accused of conspiring with each other to defraud the GRA. (G2)
Govt mulls cash grants to vulnerable groups
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fter facing a “rough time” during the first countrywide $25,000
COVID-19 cash grant distribution exercise that was rolled out last year, the
Guyana Government is now considering a second round of financial relief but
only to vulnerable groups such as elderly persons and single parents. During a press conference on Friday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo explained that while Government is committed to and continues to explore ways of bringing relief to Guyanese amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic, the administration of the cash grant exercise was a major issue. “You know it took us a long time to go to each home to give the grant to people. And we had a lot of difficulties too… because there was every family in Guyana we had to go to. In some cases, people may not have gotten the money, and they did not get a chance to fill up or some didn’t get to full out the ‘pink form’ because some of them may not have been home. And in some areas, people lied… So, we’ve had a rough time and the people who are distributing this had to contend with all sorts of things,” he stated. Currently, the first distribution exercise is still ongoing with “pink slip” applicants being processed. Only recently, the Ministry of Finance revealed that an estimated 40,565 families will benefit from this second phase of the $25,000 per household COVID-19 relief cash grant. However, even as Government is working to wrap up the first cash grant exercise, VP Jagdeo noted that had there been an easier way to administer the distribution then this process would have been carried out “swiftly”. Nevertheless, he went on to say that Government is thinking about a second countrywide stimulus relief but only for certain vulnerable groups. “We’re definitely considering [a second relief exercise] for vulnerable groups like older folks and others, maybe single parents because that’s easier to administer… So that is on the card but not necessarily for everybody but more vulnerable groups in the second stage… But we’re keeping constant, the thought of helping these communities and the people who
File photo: Scene from the 1st phase of the cash grant distribution
need the help,” the Vice President asserted. In an update on the second phase of the distribution exercise earlier this week, the Finance
relief initiative was budgeted in 2021 under the Ministry of Social Services and is being executed by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional
Ministry said distribution has already been completed in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), where some 2576 families have benefitted from the combined $64.4 million for the project. Regions One (BarimaWaini), Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) have seen over 80 per cent completion, with 2056 of an estimated 2235 families receiving their cash grant from the $55.8 million for those regions. Meanwhile, distribution has not yet started in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice). The Regional Executive Officers are putting systems in place to start the process in the new week. The Ministry said the over $1.1 billion COVID-19
Development. It is managed by a committee from the Finance Ministry. In 2020, $4.5 billion was allocated for the first phase of the grant, which started in September. During that distribution exercise, primary households received the grant, while tenants or other families residing at the same address were issued a “pink slip” for follow-up during the second phase. In December, the National Assembly approved an additional $2.5 billion to continue the cash grant relief efforts. In addition to this measure, the Government also distributed $1.73 billion to Amerindian communities as part of its one-off COVID-19 relief investment fund aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and revitalising hinterland economies. Persons with queries about their COVID pink slip grant can contact the Ministry on telephone numbers 223-7040/223-7039.
