Special Superintendent of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Forensic Analyst, Sheronie James, yesterday issued an explanation for her resignation and also said she was fully qualified for the position she held.
In an effort to dispel some of the rumours that are presently swirling as well as to shed some light on her decision to resign her position at SOCU, she issued a press release in which she insisted that her qualifications “meet and exceed the requirements for the work I was undertaking at SOCU”, and were awarded by recognised UK universities. She said that both the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan and the head of SOCU, Sidney James have seen original evidence of her academic qualifications before her offer to resign and she had no qualms about their authenticity being verified.
The Special Superintendent disclosed that in 2017, she was invited to assist SOCU’s forensic investigative capacity based on her international experience and her contract which ran to the end of January 2020 was renewed as recently as in November 2018. She denied ever saying that she had worked concurrently in ‘22 countries’.
James said that her resignation from SOCU was a carefully considered decision and not related to her refusal to present her academic qualifications as has been alleged. She added that her decision to resign was done to avoid compromising her “commitments to obligations of Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure”.
The Forensic Analyst said that during her tenure, her skills and experience have enhanced the forensic investigative arm of SOCU, enabling the unit “to receive significant Mutual Assistance Cooperation from 3rd countries in its pursuit of financial crimes committed against the people of Guyana”. Further, she insisted that she has conducted all her investigations in accordance with the highest standards of professionalism and impartiality in spite of reported surveillance and threats against her and her family.
“My professionalism, impartiality, objectivity, completely apolitical and non-politically partisan manner to ensure clear conclusions to support fair justice have been hallmarks of all of the investigations I have dealt with at SOCU”, she said.
The release made note of James’ disappointment in the timing of this controversy, now that she said that SOCU’s hard work is about to show fruit and the unit is on the cusp of delivering hard evidence of financial wrongdoing. She said that she is worried that the current developments could “well affect the outcomes of several compelling matters presently engaging the courts”.
James went on to state, “It appears my relentless pursuit (with increasing success) of tracking the evidence of acts of international cross border financial crime does not sit well with my detractors as there appears to be an emerging high stakes, threatening and sinister plot beginning to be played out; of which I will play no part.
The forensic analyst expressed her appreciation to all those who have assisted SOCU to carry out its mandate and stated that she wished to make no further comments on the matter.
Her statement came on the same day that SOCU Advisor Dr Sam Sittlington was sacked by the UK after it was revealed in yesterday’s edition of Stabroek News that he had registered a private company here.
