Latest update April 2nd, 2025 8:00 AM
Sep 30, 2009 News
– had US$14,000 in his possession
A senior official of the Princess Buddy’s International Hotel was detained by local police at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport early yesterday.
Police say that they are investigating reports of a massive theft involving thousands of US dollars from the hotel.
The official was held with US$14,000, as he was about to board an aircraft bound for the John F. Kennedy Airport, New York, USA.
There are reports that problems developed at the hotel some time last week with staffers alleging that they were not paid their wages.
Kaieteur News understands that close to 15 employees were dismissed over the past two weeks.
Reports also surfaced that the official who was held at the airport, and who is also a Turkish National, was experiencing difficulties with other senior management personnel, particularly a husband and wife team.
Police sources told this newspaper that the man denied stealing the money, claiming that he had merely taken what he was owed for his work with the hotel.
However, it was learnt that he had not handed over keys to the section of the hotel that was under his control, nor did he properly hand over important documents that pertains to the finances of the entity.
Up to late yesterday hotel officials were still carrying out an audit of the hotel’s finances, while local investigators were ascertaining the exact amount of the alleged theft.
The Princess Buddy’s Hotel was once owned by Guyanese businessman Omprakash ‘Buddy’ Shivraj under the name of Buddy’s International Hotel.
It was opened to coincide with Guyana’s hosting of the Super Eight games of Cricket World Cup 2007.
There are plans to upgrade the hotel to five-star status to facilitate the opening of a casino there after it was both by a Turkish-born hotelier, who is based in St. Maarten.
However, with the decline of tourist arrival and an apparent preference for already established hotels locally, the entity had fallen on hard times recently, putting the upgrading plans on hold.
Sources in the hotel speak of discrimination against local employees and there are plans to have the Ministry of Labour intervene.
Meanwhile, there are reports that the hotel’s General Manager has resigned his post and will be leaving Guyana today.
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