Low-grade works at GMC office…SOCU investigator testifies to interviewing project manager, viewing email

Apr 05, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

The trial of Nizam Hassan, the former General Manager at the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC)

Nizam Hassan

and Felecia De Souza-Madramootoo continued yesterday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It is alleged that between October 28, 2010 and April 25, 2012 they conspired with each other to continuously approve payments which were made to contractor of Constantine Engineering and Construction Services Limited, Trinidad and Tobago, for works that were incompetently and incorrectly done with inferior materials to rehabilitate the GMC building at Robb and Alexander Streets, Bourda, Georgetown, knowing that such works should not have been approved.
They both pleaded not guilty to the charge and were each released on $250,000 bail with instructions to report to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU).
Testifying yesterday was Police Sergeant Salish Roopnarine, a detective attached to SOCU.
During his testimony, Sergeant Roopnarine recalled interviewing Afraz Ali, who was the project manager for the construction of the GMC building.
According to the police witness, “On July 15, 2016 at 09:00hrs I contacted Afraz Ali at SOCU and interviewed him in relation to the construction of the said building. After which I took a statement from him as to his role in the construction of the said building.”
The police witness told the court that Ali showed him a cellular phone containing several emails allegedly sent to him by Nizam Ramkissoon, who was a contractor for the construction of the GMC building. The emails, Sergeant Roopnarine recalled, were printed out and handed over to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sydney James, who is also the head of SOCU.

Felecia De Souza-Madramootoo

The detective recounted that he later visited the Commercial Registry where he uplifted a certified copy of the articles of incorporation for Constantine Engineering and Construction Services Limited, Trinidad and Tobago. A copy, he added, was also handed over to James.
Attorney Glenn Hanoman and Marcell Babb who are representing De Souza-Madramootoo and Hassan respectively, objected to the documents being admitted into evidence by the prosecution. However, Chief Magistrate overruled the objections and said that the court was satisfied that the documents are authenticated by the manner prescribed by law.
A contract was awarded to Constantine Engineering and Construction Services to build a new head office for GMC and the Guyana Shop, which it runs. A contract in the amount of $23.96M was awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). The auditor could not review the bidding documents as NPTAB could not find any information that it was involved in the tender process, even though the contract indicated otherwise.
Charges were recommended against Hassan and several other persons after SOCU completed investigations into the construction of the building. An auditor had flagged the construction, citing several worrying things at GMC, an agency of the Ministry of Education.
The trial continues today.