On the heels of several charges laid against Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Calvin Brutus for his involvement in alleged financial crimes, the People’s National Congress/ Reform (PNC/R) says it has serious doubts about the robustness of Guyana’s anti-money laundering system.
At the party’s press conference today, Executive Member Ganesh Mahipaul said, “On the specific issue of Assistant Police Commissioner Brutus, many Guyanese are rightfully questioning, how is it possible for any citizen, much less a politically exposed person like the Assistant Commissioner of Police, to amass almost a billion dollars of questionable resources without setting off money laundering or proceeds of crime red flags?”
The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) had said that Brutus is linked to financial crimes of up to $800 million. It was also revealed that eight bank accounts belonging to Brutus, his wife, their toddler and businesses with a combined balance of $500 million, were frozen.
Manipaul further questioned if suspicious activities reports had been compiled about Brutus and/or if they might have been “deliberately suppressed”.
The PNCR member expressed doubt about the integrity of the anti-money laundering framework, adding, “At best, this means that the integrity and effectiveness of Guyana’s anti-money laundering and proceeds of crime infrastructure is in serious doubt, and at worst, this could mean the entire system has been compromised…”
Moreover, he warned that such failings in oversight could risk Guyana facing international financial blacklisting, with severe consequences for its economy. “An investigation of this vulnerability needs to be conducted and the system revamped to prevent such lapses,” he said.
To this end, he reiterated the party’s call for an investigation into the Guyana Police Force (GPF), specifically the top brass.
