Fraud probe may have netted scapegoats - Union rep

Fraud probe may have netted scapegoats – Union rep

Jan 29, 2013 News

The Guyana Public Service Union Region Ten representative Maurice Butters, has said that the three employees attached to the accounts department of the Linden Hospital Complex, who are under probe for alleged fraudulent activities committed at the institution, should not be used as scapegoats, to cover the tracks of others in Senior Managerial positions, at the institution.
According to Butters the fraud allegation as highlighted in the Sunday edition of the Kaieteur News, has been going on for some time. Employees had observed over a year ago that there were pay sheets with the names of former employees, who had either left the country, retired or had died.
When the Union raised the matter with the management, the spreadsheet was withdrawn, and employees were given a blank foolscap paper, to sign on, he said.
“The Union is therefore calling for a thorough investigation into this matter, because for many years the Union has been calling on the Management to ensure that the Accounts Department was properly streamlined.
“Some years ago there was the disappearance of a CPU; the Police were called in and their investigation revealed that there was no breakage, or forced entry.”
However that matter was swept under the table, the union representative said.
Then subsequently, calls were also made for an investigation into the pay sheet matter, but nothing was done, he added.
Butters said that the matter was subsequently taken to the Board, which discovered that there was an account at the Republic Bank with only two signatories, and that the payroll is not seen by the Chief Executive Officer when the ruling by the board is that the payroll must be signed by the CEO.
Butters said that all along, Senior Management officials were aware of everything that was going on, as it relates to the discrepancies at the institution.
“So the important point I would like to make is that these three persons should not be used as the scapegoats to cover up what has been going on. The ordinary employees should not be taking the fall for this. Let the blame fall where it should.”
Butters pointed out that the payroll from the hospital has to go to the Ministry of Health for verification, so he found it surprising that the irregularities that were being perpetrated at the institution were not discovered years ago.
The three employees attached to the accounts department of the Linden Hospital Complex were arrested following allegations of a multimillion-dollar fraud.
Kaieteur News understands that the three were arrested on Friday last after a $25 million fraud was uncovered.
According to reports several senior officials from the Criminal Investigations Police Headquarters in Georgetown travelled to Linden on Friday to carry out the arrests.
The three suspects were subsequently taken to the city for further interrogation.

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Fraud probe may have netted scapegoats – Union rep

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