The doctor and retired Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer who were arrested in relation to the theft of supplies from the Ministry of Health’s drugs bond at Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) have been released from police custody.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum yesterday told Stabroek News that as the investigation continues, the police are currently waiting on the Ministry to conduct an audit at the drugs bond.
The audit will determine how many items were stolen and their value. At this point, those details are unknown.
Contacted yesterday, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Malcolm Watkins through the Ministry’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Shabana Shaw said that preparations are currently ongoing to facilitate the audit.
Police Commander of Region 4B, Mahendra Siwnarine had previously told this newspaper that the police are hoping that the MOH’s routine inventory check will determine the quantum of items which were stolen.
“Actually it was information that this was happening but we don’t have anything solid to go by. We didn’t recover anything,” Siwnarine had said.
The prime suspect in the larceny investigation is 22-year-old bond attendant, Terrence Williams. He was remanded to prison last Friday after he denied a total of five charges, including the unlawful possession of guns and bribery.
Williams was arrested last Monday afternoon after the firearms and ammunition along with a large quantity of cash were found in a vehicle registered to him at the bond. It is the suspicion of the police that he along with others stole and sold a quantity of pharmaceutical products and other medical supplies from the bond.
He was taken into custody after the police, who were responding to a report of larceny at the bond, carried out a search on a car, PAB 3032, and found one duffel bag which contained a 9mm Luger pistol and two rounds of 9mm ammunition, a .380 pistol with a magazine containing seven matching rounds of ammunition and a total of $4,580,000 in cash, including US currency. There were 20 rounds of .380 ammunition in the side pocket of the bag, the police also said.
The police had reported that Williams was cautioned on the offence and then attempted to offer a bribe to a rank to secure his freedom.
He was taken to the Golden Grove Police Station Criminal Investi-gation Department (CID) office and while being questioned about the unlicensed firearms and ammunition, the police said he requested his bag and he withdrew and offered the police investigators $1,750,000 cash to forego the said charges.
At this point, the police said that he was told of the new offence committed – Corrupt Transaction with Agent – cautioned and he replied “Well sir tek de whole bag a money all I want is me freedom”.
A number of other Health Ministry workers were questioned and detained over the alleged larceny but were later released due to insufficient evidence.
