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Five staffers under investigations for multi-million-dollar fraud

Nov 05, 2009 News

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is investigating a massive fraud conspiracy involving cashiers and a staffer of its Information Technology (IT) Department.
According to a statement from the GRA last night, from initial investigations its IT security system was compromised in a scheme that may have started a year ago and involved several prominent businesses.
The matter has been handed over to the Commissioner of Police. A probe has started.
According to the statement from Commissioner-General Khurshid Sattaur, GRA unearthed the multi-million dollar fraud suspected to be carried out by cashiers in collusion with personnel of the IT Department who would have infiltrated the IT security system.
“The successful detection came as a result of the proper functioning of the internal control system and the scrupulous performance of duties by some staff members which led to further checks being carried out by a special team on the IT system.”
It is believed that the lone IT staff was the mastermind of the plot.
Sattaur said that the extent of the fraud is likely to be in the vicinity of millions of dollars but acknowledged that it is too early for him to have a precise estimate.
It is believed that the manipulation of information on GRA’s system started over a year ago and would have seen a significant amount of revenue being fraudulently converted on some days.
“The GRA recently implemented a new information technology system costing in excess of US$6M through support given under loan agreement with the Inter American Development Bank (IDB). This system has strengthened GRA’s safeguards against fraud and corruption.”
GRA said that the integrated database has high security features that are capable of tracking any unauthorized use of the system.
GRA was able to determine through this feature who would have had access to the system and as such was able to pinpoint exactly the staff who made the adjustments.
“The Commissioner General is not ruling out the linkages this fraud may have with prominent city businesses because of the high prevalence of these businesses featuring in the information being provided by the system.”
Sattaur urged the business community to guard against the temptation of engaging in unscrupulous acts to defraud the state of revenue while at the same time compromise the integrity of officers within the GRA.

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