Manager, sub-contractor charged for inflating construction company bill

Dec 21, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – A manager and a sub-contractor attached to Adamantium Holdings Company were on Monday slapped with $150,000 bail each for fraudulently obtaining $1.152 million from the said company for the delivery of 64 truckloads of laterite but failing to deliver same.

Myrvin George and Daniel Baker made their first court appearance yesterday

ppearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court were 44-year-old Myrvin George, of Victoria Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and Daniel Baker, of Mahaica Park, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
The duo was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that between October 31, 2021 and December 10, 2021, at 16 Sub-Lot ‘A’ Mud-Lot Kingston, Georgetown, with the intent to defraud, they obtained the sum of $1,152,000 from Adamantium Holdings by falsely pretending they delivered 64 truckloads of laterite, knowing the same to be false.
The court heard that the said aforementioned company was recently awarded a contract by the Government of Guyana to rehabilitate a stretch of road from 6 miles, Bartica, Potaro Road, to 19 miles, Bartica, Potaro Road.
However, the duo worked with the company under the aforementioned transportation capacities and entered into agreements to provide trucking service for the said company transporting laterite from 9 Miles, Bartica Potaro Road to various parts of a stretch of road from 6 Miles, Bartica Potaro, to 19 Miles, Bartica Potaro, at a cost of $18,000 per truckload, which would be claimed for by sub-contractor Baker.
The court further heard that thereafter, George, who is the manager, would report the number of truckloads that were transported and the company would issue payments at their office at 16 Sub-Lot ‘A’, Mud-Lot, Kingston, Georgetown.
On December 14, 2021, Adamantium Holdings issued payments totaling $5,346,000 for 297 truckloads of laterite, which were reported by George and claimed by Baker.
The company then received certain information and communicated same to its ranks, who carried out a physical check of the worksite, along with another manager who is responsible for the oversight of the said project. Upon checking, it was discovered that 87 loads of laterite were along the said stretch of road. The same was double-checked by the manager’s record, which revealed an incomplete and inaccurate account.
Further record checks were made, which revealed that only 233 truckloads of laterite were on the security’s record, a difference of 64 less truckloads of laterite transported, which amounts to $1,152,000.
The accused were then contacted, told of the allegation, and they admitted, under caution, inflating the number of truckloads of laterite transported. The accused further handed over $220,000, stating that the same was received from Baker as payment for reporting more truckloads of laterite than were transported.
The duo was then arrested and charged with the present offence. The two accused will return to court on January 17, 2022.