Former rice board members plead not guilty after fraud charges re-read

The six former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) members, including two opposition parliamentarians, who were charged with failing to record entries for funds amounting to over $250 million in the agency’s general ledger, were yesterday allowed to plead to the charges.

Former GRDB General Manager Jagnarine Singh, former Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture Prema Roopnarine, agricultural consultant Ricky Ramraj, business consultant Badrie Persaud, General Secretary of the Rice Producers Association and PPP/C MP Dharamkumar Seeraj and PPP/C MP Nigel Dharamlall all pleaded not guilty.