In a startling revelation, former Assistant Commissioner of Police and former Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Paul Slowe CCH, has sounded the alarm over an alleged $800 million fraud within the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Speaking with Village Voice News, Slowe called for an urgent and independent investigation into these grave allegations.
Slowe’s alarm is directed at the reports indicating that SOCU has unearthed a massive fraud scheme, amounting to over 800 million Guyana dollars, allegedly laundered through the Quartermaster Stores. The scandal also involves serious improprieties in allowances for ranks stationed in the interior, the Credit Union, and the Police Consumer’s Cooperative. Slowe stressed, “If these media reports are true, the demand for an independent investigation must be intensified.”
Adding to the gravity of the situation, Slowe criticized the lack of response from regulatory bodies. “The Bank of Guyana, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) should have been alerted and alarmed by the high volumes of money allegedly being saved at local banks,” he stated. According to the reports, the accounts under investigation belong to high-ranking members of the GPF and their spouses.
Public confidence in the Guyana Police Force has hit rock bottom, and the current allegations of an $800 million fraud have sparked renewed calls for the Irfan Ali-led government to address the deep-rooted issues within the GPF. There are also pressing demands for Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn and the Head of SOCU Karim Baksh to handle the situation with full transparency.
The scandal deepens with allegations that large sums of money, allegedly funds, were discovered concealed in plastic bags in the offices of senior police officials. In response to these claims, Slowe remarked, “This is not standard operating procedure for an organization like the GPF. There are designated departments that handle funds with strict protocols for deposits.”
Historical context exacerbates the current crisis. Back in 2021, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn revealed during a National Assembly sitting that $300 million was missing from the Police Finance Office. Additionally, there was another report of a $300 million fraud at the Quartermaster Store, but despite the transfer of ranks, no further actions were taken.
Slowe’s loud call for an independent investigation underscores the urgent need for transparency and accountability within the Guyana Police Force. This is essential not only to restore public trust but also to ensure the integrity and proper functioning of the institution amidst these shocking allegations.
