Slowe/Washington still to appear in court on fraud charges
Two weeks after several retired and serving ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were slapped with charges over an alleged $10 million fraud in the GPF, the case was called on Thursday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
Police Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe, and Senior Superintendent Marcelene Washington, who are among those facing charges, were a no-show at court as they are reportedly out of the jurisdiction. This is the second time the two of them have failed to attend court.
Retired Assistant Police Commissioners Clinton Conway and Claude Whitaker, along with Former Senior Superintendents George Fraser, Michael Sutton, Mark Gilbert, Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries- Junor, and Assistant Superintendent Marlon Kellman are also facing charges.
Before the Chief Magistrate, the prosecution made submissions on why the charges against the defendants should be dealt with summarily. The Chief Magistrate has now assigned the cases to Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus who will on June 24, 2021, entertain submissions in reply from the defence team.
On May 20, last, the retired and serving ranks were hauled before the courts.
The first charge stated that Sutton, being and performing duties as Finance Officer for the Guyana Police Force between July 1, 2019, and July 31, 2019, at the Guyana Police Force Headquarters, Even Leary, Georgetown, wilfully misconducted himself while performing the said duties, that is to say, he falsely signed seven payment vouchers as the accounting officer, which he was not authorized to do, enabling Slowe, Conway, Whittaker, Fraser, and Gilbert to be paid $1, 000, 766, without the approval of Daniella McCalmon, the Accounting Officer and any reasonable excuse or justification.
It is further alleged that Slowe, Conway, Whittaker, Fraser, Gilbert, Andries- Junor, Washington, Sutton, and Kellman between March 1, 2019, and July 7, 2020, at Guyana Police Force Headquarters, Even Leary, Georgetown, conspired together and with other persons unknown to defraud the Guyana Police Force of $10, 056, 000 by paying Slowe, Conway, Whittaker, Fraser, and Gilbert the said $10M, without complying with the proper procedures, purportedly to do a review of the Guyana Police Force standing order which had already commence in July 2018 and concluded in the said March 2019 by Strategic Planning Unit of the said Guyana Police Force.
They were not required to plead to the indictable charges after they were read to them. The defendants are represented by a battery of lawyers comprising Nigel Hughes, Patrice Henry, and Narrisa Leander. Sutton who has two charges was granted $200,000 bail meanwhile the others were each granted $100,000 bail.
According to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), the officers conspired with each other and persons unknown to defraud the Guyana Police Force of more than 10 million Guyana dollars. The money was paid to revise the entire Guyana Police Force’s Standing Order but Slowe and the others have so far failed to present to the Guyana Police Force with a completed revised Standing Order.
The Guyana Police Force has a Standing Order which comprises 104 Standing Orders. The entire 104 Standing Orders of the Guyana Police Force were completely revised by Civilian Police Analysts that worked at the Strategic Planning Unit of the Guyana Police Force between July 2018 and March 2019.
However, Slowe and others were hired by the former Commissioner of Police Leslie James, and paid to do the same revision when it was already done. SOCU said the officers conspired together and gave themselves a job that clearly should have gone to the Tender Board by law because of the sum of money involved.
In addition, Slowe and Conway– being members of the Police Service Commission, which overlooks the Police Force as the disciplinary body – cannot make contracts and enter into agreements that they are getting substantial monetary rewards for, SOCU further said.
It is further alleged that during March and April 2019, a female Assistant Superintendent of Police, who worked along with Slowe, was allegedly sexually assaulted by him three times by touching her legs.
“These alleged sexual assaults were reported to a [male] Assistant Commissioner who failed to take proper action,” the Guyana Police Force said in a statement.
He allegedly told the female Assistant Superintendent “…is I have to promote you.” Investigations into the sexual assault allegations against Slowe are continuing.
