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By Mark DaCosta-Assistant Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus has been hit with a fresh wave of charges. Alongside businessman Corwin Nicholson and Police Sergeant Latoya Brummel, Brutus has now been charged with a staggering 21 new counts related to financial crimes, including conspiracy, misconduct in public office, and liability of officials. These new charges are connected to an elaborate scheme that allegedly defrauded the Guyana Police Force (GPF) of millions of dollars.
The latest charges, brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on November 22, represent an escalation of Brutus’s legal woes. This time, he faces 21 new charges, which include seven counts each of conspiracy to commit a felony by obtaining money under false pretence, misconduct in public office, and liability of an officer.
These charges pertain to the period between December 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024, when the trio allegedly schemed to fraudulently obtain approximately $102 million from the GPF. The funds, which were paid to Nicholson for goods that were never delivered to the police force, were reportedly part of a larger fraudulent operation involving boots, handcuffs, uniform cloth, and other supplies that were never supplied.
According to the charges, Brutus exploited his high-ranking position within the GPF, allegedly instructing the finance officer to issue Bank of Guyana cheques to Nicholson’s business for the supply of goods, which were not delivered. The total value of the payments allegedly made for these non-existent supplies amounted to an eye-watering $102 million. The funds were reportedly paid in several instalments.
For these new charges, Brutus was granted bail in the sum of $1.4 million in total, with the court setting a separate amount of $350,000 for the seven charges of misconduct in public office and $350,000 for the seven counts of liability of an officer. Each of the charges within those categories also carries an additional $50,000 bail for each count.
Brutus’s growing legal troubles are reflected in the cumulative total of his bail, which now exceeds $17 million. Earlier charges brought against him for fraud, money laundering, and misconduct in office had already seen him granted bail amounts totaling $16.2 million. In total, Brutus now faces 252 charges, which include a variety of financial crimes related to misappropriation of public funds, fraud, and corruption.
Brutus’s co-accused, Corwin Nicholson, a contractor based in Lethem, and Police Sergeant Latoya Brummel, have also been granted bail. Both were charged jointly with Brutus for the conspiracy to defraud the GPF, with each facing seven counts of obtaining money under false pretence. Nicholson’s bail was set at $1.05 million for the seven charges, with $150,000 required for each individual count. Brummel, who has served for over a decade as a police sergeant, was granted bail in the sum of $700,000, with $100,000 set for each of the seven charges.
The court proceedings, which took place in front of Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, saw the accused appearing with their legal representatives.
The prosecution, represented by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), did not object to bail for Brummel and Nicholson but requested a higher bail amount for Brutus, which was granted. Despite his lawyers’ attempts to have the bail reduced, the Magistrate imposed a higher sum than the prosecution had initially suggested.
The case against Brutus, Nicholson, and Brummel has garnered significant public attention. According to all indications, the scale of the alleged fraud has shaken public confidence in the integrity of the GPF. The accused will return to court on January 31, 2025, to face the charges, with other proceedings set for December 18, 2024, and January 17, 2025.
