British fraud expert back at SOCU

Jan 06, 2018 News

British fraud consultant, Sam Sittlington

British fraud expert, Sam Sittlington, whose tenure ended last year, is back to help boost the capacity of the police’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

On Tuesday, British High Commissioner, Greg Quinn, is set to introduce Sittlington as a Financial Investigations Mentor/Advisor to SOCU, the British High Commission announced yesterday.

Sittlington, under a British-funded arrangement, was present last year as SOCU conducted a number of high profile investigations, including the Pradoville Two probe of the Sparendaam lands sold to former President Bharrat Jagdeo and a number of his ex-ministers and other government officials.

The current Coalition Government had expressed an interest in his return, but British officials here had indicated that this was dependent on the tender process for a crime consultant.

It appeared that Sittlington was chosen again and given a new contract.

Britain has been collaborating with Guyana to improve this country’s crime-fighting capacity.
In May last year, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, disclosed that he had approached the British High Commission in Guyana to assist in having Sittlington return.
Ramjattan had explained then that he was given the assurance by the High Commissioner that the request would be looked at. He had acknowledged that there are other experts in the UK, but he was keen on Sittlington, because of the good work he has done.

Ramjattan had said that during Sittlington’s stint at SOCU he had made a number of recommendations to strengthen that entity.

The Public Security Minister said that Sittlington is the best person to evaluate if those recommendations were properly implemented.
Ramjattan had also disclosed that Sittlington played a pivotal role in helping SOCU officials to strategize during the investigation of financial crime, and this was another key reason why he was keen to have him return.
The Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), now in opposition, has been at odds with Sittlington, and has accused him of meddling in the nation’s affairs.

SOCU is the police’s special arm dealing in investigating money laundering crimes. A number of cases involving former government officials are currently being addressed by SOCU.