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Canadian court orders ex-GRDB accountant deported
A Canadian court has denied an application for refugee status in a case involving Peter Ramcharran, a former Guyana Rice Board official who is wanted to face fraud-related charges in Guyana.
The man has also been ordered deported.
Yesterday, head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Assistant Commissioner, Sydney James, confirmed that his unit has been informed that Ramcharran, the former accountant of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), was denied his application.
Ordered extradited: Peter Ramcharran
Guyana had applied for the extradition of the official who is wanted on a number of charges.
Special prosecutor, Patrice Henry, recently told a city court, headed by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, that the immigration hearing has been concluded.
Ramcharran had remained on a bail bond in Canada pending the outcome of the ruling in the Canadian Court. The matter comes up again for hearing before the Chief Magistrate on February 15, 2019.
Ramcharran is wanted in Guyana for alleged breaches at GRDB, an independent state agency that regulates the rice industry.
It is unclear whether Ramcharran has possibilities of appeals to the refusal.
Yesterday, James said from indications the former official could be back here early in 2019.
Already six former officials who were part of the former State entity’s board have been charged and released in relation to the said alleged breached.
The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) had successfully moved to the local courts, asking for an arrest warrant for Ramcharran.
Last year, the Chief Magistrate issued the warrant after charges were filed against the fugitive. The Government of Guyana in turn had asked the Canadian authorities to send Ramcharran back.
The GRDB found itself in the spotlight after a forensic audit of that entity revealed among some of the “anomalies” found were loans without proper paperwork or promissory notes.
According to information, the former accountant is heavily implicated in the probe with regards to the six former GRDB board members who have pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
The officials charged are former General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Jagnarine Singh; former Deputy General Manager of GRDB Madanlall Ramraj; General Secretary of the Producers Association (RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj; former Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Nigel Dharamlall; former General Manager of the Guyana Oil Company Badrie Persaud and the Deputy Permanent Secretary Finance Ministry of Agriculture, Prema Roopnarine.
The charges against Ramcharran were read in his absence.
It is alleged that between 2011 and 2012, at Lot 16-17 Cowan Street, Kingstown, Jagnarine Singh and Madanlall Ramraj omitted to enter, or to make true entries of over $4.2M into the company’s ledger, knowing that it was contrary to standard operation procedures.
They face 17 other charges, which alleged that during the same time frame, they fraudulently took $5.1M or applied the money for their own use and benefit or any use and purpose, other than that of the GRDB.
As investigations widened into the operations of the GRDB, three former high-ranking officials were slapped with 34 additional fraud-related charges. They were also released on $1M bail each by the Chief Magistrate, after they made an appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, charged with failing to make proper entries into the company’s ledger.
They pleaded not guilty.
Ramcharran had reportedly been studying in Canada, when authorities swooped down on him in June last year following a request for his extradition.
A forensic audit, one of several ordered by the Coalition Government, had found several alarming things at GRDB, which regulates the rice industry.
From about 2009 to 2015, Guyana, under the administrations of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, had entered a multi-billion-dollar oil-for-rice arrangement where GRDB was clearing out for farmers.
However, millions of dollars of those monies were reportedly siphoned off via third-party arrangements including rental of ships and other sweetheart deals for a few millers.
SOCU is investigating other aspects of the audit report. More charges are likely.
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