Special Prosecutor Lawrence Harris’ absence at the most recent hearings for the now dismissed Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) proceedings against former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) officers may have been due to him not being paid for several months, a source has said.
Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, prompted by counsel for the accused, last week dismissed several charges against six former members of the GRDB after Harris failed to make an appearance when the matter was called. It was also mentioned that Harris had failed to attend three hearings prior.
The charges were connected to the alleged failure of the officers to record some $200 million in the entity’s general ledger.
