Ex GBTI bank manager linked to $956M fraud surrenders to cops

The former bank manager who was wanted by the police for questioning in relation to a recent multi-million-dollar fraud at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) branch in Bartica, yesterday turned herself over to the police.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Stabroek News that the woman surrendered at the Criminal Investigation Depart-ment (CID) Headquarters yesterday afternoon, in the company of her lawyer.

She was promptly arrested.

Her surrender came a day after Saddiqi Mohamad Rasul faced charges for allegedly defrauding the GBTI Bartica branch of over $956M last month.

This newspaper was previously informed that Rasul, who is the owner of SSS Minerals Trading deposited the cheques into his GBTI account and then several procedures were breached.

Reports revealed that staff of the bank issued payments to Rasul without the cheques, which came from another bank, being cleared.

It is alleged that the bank manager was involved in allowing Rasul to withdraw millions of dollars in cash.

The cheques later bounced and the police were called in, while the bank manager was relieved of her duties.

On Monday, Rasul was charged with six counts of fraud.

It was alleged that between March 21 and March 22, at Bartica, with intent to defraud, Rasul obtained from GBTI $96 million, $290 million, $89 million, $45 million, $298 million and $138 million by falsely pretending that he had cash in a Citizens Bank account to honour corresponding Citizens Bank cheques.

He denied the charges and was granted his release on a total of $3M bail. The matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for April 21.