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Low-graded works on GMC office building…Ex-GM’s former assistant testifies
The trial of Nizam Hassan and Felecia De Souza-Madramootoo, who are accused of conspiring with others to approve payments for low-standard works on the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) building, continued yesterday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
CHARGED: Nizam Hassan,
Former General Manager of GMC
Testifying was Ananda Persaud, the former Executive Assistant to Nizam Hassan, an ex-General Manager at GMC.
Persaud who now works at the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) showed up in court to testify hours after the Chief Magistrate issued a warrant for her arrest.
It is alleged that between October 28, 2010 and April 25, 2012, Hassan and De Souza-Madramootoo 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; knowing that such works should not have been approved.
Hassan of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara and De Souza-Madramootoo of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, have both pleaded not guilty to the charge.
They are each released on $250,000 bail with instructions to report to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) until the determination of the matter.
They are being represented by Attorneys-at-Law Marcel Bobb and Glenn Hanoman respectively.
During her testimony, Persaud told the court that during her tenure at GMC, some of her duties entailed preparing reports, payment requisitions and scheduling meetings.
She said that when requisitions for payment are received they come in the form of invoices, quotations or letters. The witness said that they would then be dispatched to the Admin Office where they are stamped and recorded.
According to Persaud, the items are then taken to the Accounts Department for preparation of payment requisitions. After the requisitions are prepared, she related that they are then sent to the Accounts Department where they are checked by an Accountant. Once checked, they are sent for approval from the General Manager, Persaud stated.
On February 8, 2012, Persaud stated that she was on duty at GMC when she was contacted by the then-General Manager, Hassan, who asked her to prepare a requisition for payment for Constantine Engineering. She said that after receiving certain documents, she prepared a payment voucher and signed same before taking it to the Accountant.
CHARGED: Felecia De Souza-Madramootoo
Persaud disclosed that on June 29, 2016, she was at the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) where she was shown the payment vouchers and requisition with request for payments by Constantine Engineering. She said that she was also showed the recommendation for payment by Mr. Madramootoo and the bill of quantity by Sergeant Frank.
Persaud subsequently identified the documents in court after they were tendered by Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield.
Also testifying was Dave Hicks, an employee of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority.
Charges were recommended against Hassan and other persons, after SOCU completed its report into the investigations of the multimillion-dollar construction of the GMC office building.
A forensic audit report submitted by auditor, Saykar Boodhoo, had flagged the construction, citing several worrying things at GMC, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture.
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