Special audit report on Sussex Street Bond now with police
The Attorney General has asked the police to investigate the “Sussex Street bond” and to institute criminal charges where necessary. This comes after Auditor General Deodat Sharma recently recommended that the police launch an investigation into the bond. In a special audit report, the Auditor General said that the Police should be called in “to conduct an in-depth investigation and institute charges,” the report reads. In the letter to Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie, Nandlall pointed out that the special report recommends a police investigation and the institution of criminal charges. The AG has also sent the report to the Police.
The now infamous bond was owned by Linden Holding Ltd whose principal is Lawrence Singh, it is located at Sussex Street and was rented by the Ministry of Health for the storage of drugs for that ministry and the Georgetown Public Hospital. The audit found that “no tendering procedures were followed in respect to the awarding of the contract” for the rental of this bond, “proper procedures were not adhered to with respect to awarding of the contract to Linden Holding Inc,” the report said, “notably, tender board procedures were not followed” it pointed out.
The audit said too that based on the documents examined, there was “no evidence” to conclude that the need for storage was advertised as it cited breaches of the Procurement Act. Based on the audit, there was a three year contract between the company and the Ministry of the Health to provide storage. The audit found that an advance payment of $37 million was made while some $337 million was paid for rental for the bond between July 2016 and August 2019 .
