Brutus sues senior cops for misfeasance in public office, seeks $400M in damages

Nov 20, 2024 Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News- Embattled Assistant Police Commissioner (ag) Calvin Brutus on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against several high-ranking members of the Guyana Police Force and the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), accusing them of misconduct and abuse of power during their time in office.

Brutus is seeking $400M in damages for alleged wrongful actions committed by the senior officers between July 1 and October 24, 2024. In a statement released by his attorneys, Brutus emphasized that the amount being sought in damages does not fully reflect the extent of the alleged misconduct.

“Quite simply, GYD$400,000,000.00 (four hundred million dollars) is not even close to enough for the scale and gravity of the alleged misconduct in public office visited upon Brutus,” the statement read.

The lawsuit, published on Brutus’ Facebook page, names several high-ranking officials, including Head of SOCU, Fazil Karimbaksh; Deputy Commissioner, Ravindradat Budhram; Assistant Commissioner, Errol Watts; Deputy Head of SOCU, Mahadeo Singh; Finance Officer, Bharat Persaud; Deputy Superintendent of Police and Special Constable, Frank Harvey; Police Investigators Troy Scott, Krishnadat Singh, and Narindra Balliram; Quartermaster, Lingard Walcott; Finance Inspector of SOCU, Mark George; and the Attorney General of Guyana, Anil Nandlall.

Brutus claims these officers engaged in misconduct, unlawful behaviour, and abuse of power while performing their official duties, causing significant harm, loss, and damage to his personal and business reputation.

Brutus is seeking general damages exceeding $300 million dollars for misfeasance in public office, including misconduct, abuse of power, and other unlawful actions. He is also seeking special damages in excess of 100 million dollars for losses related to income, reputation, emotional distress, and economic hardship.

In his press release, Brutus through his attorneys underscored the gravity of his claims, stating that the harm done to him far exceeds the damages he is requesting. He also argued that the accusations are serious enough to trigger both a civil lawsuit and a criminal investigation.

“The public must note that in any functional democracy, the conduct alleged by Brutus, in his civil claims, is enough to facilitate an investigation and those found to have acted improperly should be placed before the courts,” the statement said.

Brutus is also calling for an independent criminal investigation to be launched into the allegations he is making against the senior officers as well as a “fair and impartial tribunal, perhaps a Presidential Commission of Inquiry international experts or agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Scotland Yard, should be involved to ensure fairness and transparency.

“Brutus calls upon the authorities in Guyana to disburden the Commissioner of Police of the unique conundrum of the police investigating the police in any Guyanese-led ‘independent’ inquiry. At this stage, the only appropriate recourse is to summon international, impartial, professional help,” the statement emphasized.

Additionally, Brutus has offered to take a polygraph test to prove the veracity of his allegations and has invited the accused officers to do the same. He is also open to cooperating with independent investigators, including international law enforcement agencies, to uncover the matter.

The Assistant Police Commissioner’s attorneys noted clearly that their client has “documented his claims and cooperated with independent arbiters, including international law enforcement agencies, whose sole concern is to pursue the truth.”

“Fear, is not, a word in his vocabulary,” the statement by the attorneys said.

“In ensuring the gauntlet contacts the ground, Mr. Brutus is prepared to cooperate with independent investigators in the pursuit of the truth in the issues at the heart of the claims he makes against the Defendants,” the statement added.

Since the public disclosure of his involvement in financial crimes, Brutus has faced significant challenges. Earlier this year, SOCU launched an investigation into his activities, leading to 231 charges against him, with bail set at $16.25 million.

In October, it was revealed that eight bank accounts, totaling $500 million, belonging to Brutus, his wife Adonika Aulder, and their toddler, had been frozen as part of the ongoing investigation. Additionally, the couple was barred from traveling to the United States for a pregnancy-related trip after their application for travel clearance was denied by the High Court.

(Brutus sues senior cops for misfeasance in public office, seeks $400M in damages)

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• 231 financial charges, Calvin Brutus, court, GPF, lawsuit, SOCU

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