Some professionals in the Guyana Police Force are at a loss for words regarding a stalled investigation into the former Head of the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), Sydney James. They said that there has been nothing but inaction since the Director of Public Prosecutor, Shalimar Ali-Hack called for further investigations into the misappropriation of funds.
The Guyana Standard was told that this state of affairs is allowed to continue even though the Police Force’s Audit Department has “irrefutable” evidence to show that James took millions of dollars with no proof of where it went.
The sources said that this is especially so in the case of $13,502,800 which James took from SOCU’s operational fund over a period of four years. Auditors were told by James that the money was paid to civilians but there is no record of who these persons are or the purpose for which the moneys were issued. James would only say to the auditors that these were “payments to sources/informants” that he manages.
During the audit, it was found that $2,644,800 was expended without proof or explanation in 2016; $5,038,000 in 2017; $5,390,000 in 2018; and $430,000 in 2019; all amounting to $13,502,800.
