Two female officers who were charged with deleting data belonging to the Guyana Police Force Finance Department, were today freed of the charge.
Police Constables, Jenneka Carmichael, of Lot 121 Onderneeming, West Coast Berbice and Tatayana Smith, age 21, of 43 Third Street Alberttown, Georgetown, were before Magistrate Annette Singh at Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where the trial was being held.
The duo had previously appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan who read the charge to them. It is alleged by the Special Organised Crimes Unit (SOCU), that the two women intentionally and without lawful excuse or justification, deleted electronic data from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) computer that was in the Administrative Office of the Felix Austin Police College. They had denied the charge and were released on $150,000.
When the matter was called today, the Magistrate upheld a no-case submission made by the women’s attorney and dismissed the charge against them. They were represented by attorneys-at-Law E. Stephen and Bernard Da Silva. Tuanna Hardy was the prosecutor.
The duo was arrested as part of an investigation into the $19M fraud committed against the GPF Finance Department. The two officers were attached as clerks to the Felix Austin Police College and were arrested following an investigation that revealed a $19 Million fraud had been committed against the finance department
A probe was launched by SOCU after information was received that falsified feeding accounts were stored on the computer but before SOCU could have accessed the computer, all feeding account files were deleted with the two accused being the only ranks that operated the computer.
Several other members, inclusive of senior officers, of the force, have been charged concerning the fraud.
