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No major changes as SOCU prepares to take new cases to trial
The promised changes at the Special Organized Crime Unit, (SOCU) are still to occur. Yet officials attached to the unit are readying to take new cases to trial.
SOCU’s headquarters at Eve Leary
Kaieteur News understands that at least four new cases are scheduled for trial, among them is the civil forfeiture matter involving Gabriella Reginia Artist, who was held and charged for having more than US$10,000 in her possession without a plausible explanation.
This newspaper understands that Artist was travelling to Suriname when she was caught and her items confiscated by SOCU.
Artist is among those charged in accordance to Sections 37 and 82 of the Anti – Money Laundering and Countering the Financing Terrorism Act Chapter 10:11.
According to advertisements, recently published in the daily newspapers, the charges were filed against Artist on April 9, 2019.
However, her last known address, according to the newspaper advertisement, is listed as the SleepIn Hotel, Brickdam Georgetown.
The information contained in the ad notes, therefore, that failure of the defendant to enter an appearance or prepare an affidavit in response to SOCU‘s charge within the next 28 days after the publication of the notice, will result in final judgment be granted against her.
The matter is set to commence before Justice Navindra Singh at the Georgetown High Court on November 15, 2019.
Meanwhile, the Unit which falls under the purview of the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, has been widely criticised for lacking the capability to adequately prosecute cases taken before the court.
Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan had conceded the fact that there is need for improvement by SOCU’s investigative and prosecutorial arm.
Ramjattan said that the Government is therefore open to seeking international help to boost the work of the unit.
The Minister nevertheless noted that SOCU has undergone some minor changes including installing a new acting Director, Althea Padmore.
He said that Padmore has been tasked with assessing “what it is that we need in order to improve the work of the unit.”
Ramjattan’s comments followed that of President David Granger.
Granger had expressed his displeasure at the dismissal of several cases brought to the court by SOCU.
President Granger had told the nation via a radio programme, that despite the establishment of the States Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) and the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), the administration has been experiencing some difficulties in investigations and in finding evidence.
The problems, Granger said, are due to a number of circumstances, which hamper the prosecutorial process including the lack of proper investigative capabilities.
It was noted that in one instance, a $362M case was thrown out because the special prosecutors failed to show up in Court.
Ramjattan is not the only person to respond to the President’s comments, the Police Commissioner was quoted in another section of media saying that while he understands SOCU falls under his purview, the prosecutors were not hired by the Police Force and he has been doing some work to revamp the unit.
“They were not necessarily recruited by the Guyana Police Force; however, I can tell you that I met with a few of the prosecutors and that matter I am currently addressing.
“I can publicly say that since my accession as commissioner, I have met with all members of SOCU and the operations of SOCU are under scrutiny at the moment and actions are being taken as we speak,” he said.
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