Cops accused of deleting data in fraud case, walk free

Oct 28, 2021 News

Kaieteur News –Yesterday, two female police ranks, who were charged for allegedly deleting electronic data relevant to a fraud case in which millions were misappropriated from the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Finance Department, walked free.

Constable Jenneka Carmichael (left) and Constable Tatyana Smith.

The women, Jenneka Carmichael of Lot 121 Onderneeming, West Coast Berbice, and Tatyana Smith, 21, of Lot 43 Third Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, both police constables, made their first court appearance in April 2021. They were released on $150,000 bail each.
They had denied the charge which alleges that between January 28, 2021 and February 4, 2021 at the GPF’s headquarters, Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown, they intentionally and without lawful excuse or justification, deleted electronic data from the GPF’s computer that was in the administrative office of the Felix Austin Police College Mess.
They were on trial in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Annette Singh.
Attorney-at-law, Bernard DaSilva, who represented Smith, had made a no-case submission to the court in which he highlighted that the prosecution failed to prove key elements of the charge against his client.
Magistrate Singh had set yesterday’s date for ruling on the submissions that were made to the court. In handing down her ruling, the Magistrate upheld the no-case submission and as such the charge was dismissed against Smith and Carmichael.
It was reported that the duo are clerks at the Felix Austin Police College. The charge was brought against them by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), an arm of the GPF.
Last year an investigation was launched into the alleged misappropriation of $150M from the Police Finance Department. SOCU conducted the probe and several senior officials were either sent on leave or relocated. A few officers were also placed before the court for fraud charges.
However, it is alleged that before SOCU could have accessed the computers with the related data, the women allegedly, had deleted the data. The women are said to be the only persons with access to the computers. They were arrested and subsequently charged under the Cybercrime Act.

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