Latest update April 4th, 2025 6:13 AM
Low-graded works on GMC office building…5 more witnesses remain for prosecution
The trial of Nizam Hassan and Felecia De Souza-Madramootoo who are accused of conspiring
CHARGED: Nizam Hassan
with others to approve payments for low-standard works on the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) building, is winding down. Five more witnesses are scheduled to testify for the prosecution.
It is alleged that between October 28, 2010 and April 25, 2012 Hassan, the former General Manager at GMC, 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 Marcell Babb and Glenn Hanoman respectively.
Nevertheless, this trial continues tomorrow afternoon.
Charges were recommended against Hassan and the other persons after the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) completed its report into the investigations of the multi-million dollar construction of the GMC office building.
A forensic audit report submitted last year April by auditor, Saykar Boodhoo, flagged the construction, citing several worrying things at GMC, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture.
CHARGED: Felecia De Souza-Madramootoo
The forensic audit report was sent to Cabinet where it was decided that the findings of the report were serious enough to warrant a deeper investigation into, not only the construction of the building, but also into the handling of hundreds of millions of dollars of fertilizers.
According to government sources, investigations found the principals of the contracting company are close relatives of the engineer. Investigators reportedly also found that Hanniel Madramootoo, who was assigned to oversee the project, allegedly used a family member to conduct transactions at the Tender Board relating to the project.
The forensic audit which triggered the recommendations for the charges would tell a worrying tale of how things were at GMC between January 1, 2012 and May 31, 2015, the time under review.
With regards to the construction of the building, in 2011 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).
However, 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.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The reciprocal tariffs
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has once again proven his talent for making the indefensible... more
The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- Recent media stories have suggested that King Charles III could “invite” the United... more
Weekend Cartoon
