Latest update March 29th, 2025 5:38 AM
Fraud at Guyana Marketing Corporation… Cops still to arrest Directors of Trinidad-based Construction Company
The Guyana Marketing Corporation at Robb and Alexander Streets, Georgetown
Fourteen months after the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) filed fraud related charges against Phillip Madramootoo and his friend, Nizam Ramkissoon, Directors of Constantine Engineering and Construction Services Limited, Trinidad and Tobago; the men are still to be arrested and placed before the courts.
The men were jointly on November 7, 2016 along with former General Manager of the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) Nizam Hassan, Hanniel Madramootoo, a former engineer at the Ministry of Agriculture, and his wife Felecia De Souza-Madramootoo for conspiring with each other for approving payments for low-graded rehabilitation works done on the GMC building at Robb Street, Georgetown.
Particulars of the charge stated that between October 28, 2010 and April 25, 2012 they conspired with each other to commit the offence by continuously approving payments which were made to contractor of the engineering firm 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.
However, Hanniel Madramootoo, Phillip Madramootoo, two brothers, and Ramkissoon are still at large.
After a trial before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, Hassan, 50, of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, and De Souza-Madramootoo, 34, of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, were found not guilty of the offence. The charge against Hanniel Madramootoo, Phillip Madramootoo and Ramkissoon are still pending before the Chief Magistrate. In fact, the matter was called yesterday.
After the court orderly summoned the men’s name thrice, Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers told the court that he was advised by the Head of SOCU, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sydney James, that the men have not yet been arrested. According to the Prosecutor, he was told that investigators are still awaiting a report from Assistant Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine, who has to make contact with his Trinidadian counterpart about, apprehended the men.
After the Chief Magistrate warned that the charges against the men might have to be withdrawn if they continue to be at large, Prosecutor Jeffers requested one final adjournment to update the court on the matter.
The matter comes up again on February 22.
Charges were recommended against Hassan and several other persons after SOCU completed its report into the investigations of the multi-million dollar construction of the GMC office building.
A forensic audit report submitted in 2015 by auditor, Saykar Boodhoo, flagged the construction, citing several worrying things at GMC, an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture. 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). The auditor could not review the bidding.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Is the time saved worth the risk?
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- A man once had a flight to catch. He left his home in Georgetown later than planned,... more
The Caribbean: Destined to Grin and Bear the Consequences of Its Self-Created Vulnerabilities?
By Sir Ronald Sanders For decades, many Caribbean nations have grappled with dependence on a small number of powerful countries... more
Weekend Cartoon
