‘Search warrant was uncalled for’ – GEA

Oct 28, 2017 News

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The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), under investigation for billions of dollars worth in fuel purchases, as well as some questionable issuance of licences, is upset, saying that Thursday’s raid on its head office was uncalled for.

“The Board of Directors of the GEA, while respecting the mandate and functions of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), wishes to record its concern over the execution of the highly publicized search warrant at the office of the Guyana Energy Agency, and reiterate the continued cooperation of the GEA in the SOCU investigations currently in process,” the agency said in a statement.
According to GEA, its board notes “for the record, and in the interest of transparency, that at no time was the agency reluctant, unavailable, or uncooperative in the submission and handover of the requested documents”.
On Thursday, SOCU, the police’s arm that specializes in investigations of financial crimes, including money laundering, successfully applied for a search warrant before a city magistrate.
This was after the police unit experienced “challenges” with getting information. Investigators were seen with cardboard boxes going into the Quamina Street, city headquarters.
The energy agency said that it received a letter dated October 4, 2017 from SOCU, which requested a list of information – it was provided within a two-week period, “save and except for documents and vouchers in excess of two thousand files for which the GEA, in its response, noted the potential impracticality due to its sheer volume…”
GEA said it invited investigators to visit its office at its convenience to review the files in totality.
“Again, while we respect SOCU’s mandate, we respectfully submit therefore that the search warrant was not necessary in this instance. Accordingly, recognizing the voluminous nature of the files, the following was communicated to SOCU by letter dated October 19, 2017,” the agency said.
GEA said it is in contact with the unit’s head, Sydney James, asking him to explain about the reported ‘challenges’ faced in obtaining information required.
GEA also wants to know whether the information provided was sufficient

“The Board of Directors wishes to advise that files have been provided and once again reaffirms the cooperation of the GEA in any and all ongoing investigations.”
GEA is being run by Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mahender Sharma. The chairman of its board is Lance Hinds.
The GEA’s warrant was the second time that the unit was forced to turn to the courts.
GEA is a state-controlled entity that regulates the fuel trade, with duties including the licensing of operators and retailers.
The documents that SOCU wanted, relate to two investigations that SOCU is handling. One has to do with the findings of a forensic audit that the Coalition Government had ordered into the operations of GEA in the years, under the last administration, leading up to the 2015 general elections.
The other has to do with an investigation by the Ministry of the Presidency last year to alleged malpractice, mismanagement, and the purchases of hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel handled by both GEA and the Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil).
The GEA challenge would follow the high-profile one with the privately-controlled Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry (GBTI).
SOCU was tracking where US$500M went. That was money representing payment for farmers in the Venezuela rice-for-oil deal with Guyana. The trail suggested it had possibly gone to some foreign banks, under the direction of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB).
However, SOCU was unable to proceed with the investigations, as GBTI did not hand over the documents, despite four court orders.
In defence, the bank claimed it could not locate some of the documents. Some 9,000 was being asked for. Some of the documents may have also been destroyed.
On Monday, the impasse with the bank culminated in a highly embarrassing court appearance of the directors and chief, to answer contempt charges, in relation to the four court orders.
The attention is on SOCU as it has been handed several highly complex investigations, from the much publicized Pradoville Two land sale to former ministers and government officials, to alleged misappropriation of billions of dollars at the GRDB.
Several persons have been charged, including former General Manager, Jagnarine Singh, and his deputy, Ricky Ramraj.
There are multiple other investigations being run by SOCU into transactions of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), which sold several state properties under suspicious circumstances.
Government has hired a number of special prosecutors but some of the completed files have been in limbo for a number of months now.

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