Detained ranks to face charges

By KNews  

Charges are likely for three ranks who are implicated in the theft of $3.4M from the Police Finance Office, which is located in the compound of Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.

Theft of $3.4M, Police Headquarters, Eve Leary


The ranks, an Assistant Superintendent, an Inspector and a Lance Corporal, have been detained since Tuesday following the discovery of the theft.
At least two of the detained ranks were previously transferred from the police Financé Office for alleged skullduggery.
But they were reinstated and recently promoted.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud declined to provide details of the police investigation, except to disclose that the act was internal.
Persaud said that there was no sign of breakage, which points directly to an inside job.
Police in a press release Tuesday night, stated that the cash was secured in a locked canister in a padlocked cashier cage.
The release stated that the three ranks in custody were responsible for the keys to both the canister and cashier cage.
The monies stolen represented pensions and the recently announced one-month bonus for ranks who are stationed in the interior and other far away police locations.
A source at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary told this newspaper that Police Commissioner Henry Greene was livid at an emergency meeting with his senior officers, which lasted for several hours.
According to the source, the Commissioner chastised the Officer-in-Charge of the Police Finance Office, pointing out that what occurred was unacceptable.
Kaieteur News understands that Greene informed the meeting that the incident has compounded last year’s situation when several ranks were involved in the theft of a large amount of cash that was recovered from robbery suspects.
Some time last year the Police Finance Office was broken into, but on that occasion the Commissioner stated that nothing was stolen. There was an investigation but no one was charged.
Another source told this newspaper that while there were other thefts from the Police Finance Office, the perpetrators are made to repay the stolen cash and are transferred, instead of facing prosecution.

Thursday, January 7, 2010