The SOCU Saga

With calls for an official inquiry into the tragic denouement to the high-speed chase on behalf of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) that ended in the death of three persons showing no signs of a let-up, the administration cannot continue with their stonewalling. The Guyana Police Force, of which SOCU is a unit, cannot bear the sole responsibility of investigating itself.

There is firstly the matter of the remit of SOCU, and why was it deployed on a NICIL investigation. In mid-November 2013 at the announcement of Cabinet’s formation of SOCU, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon stated this succinctly, “SOCU is intended to be Guyana’s response to its treaty obligations to investigate suspicious financial transactions that are suggestive of money laundering. SOCU’s creation is in response to non-parliamentary recommendations from Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).”

Luncheon stated that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) – the body statutorily charged with monitoring the financial sector, would compile information on suspicious financial transactions and make it available to the SOCU. “SOCU, armed with the information, will then conduct investigations to establish whether these transactions are indeed money laundering transactions or financing terrorism transactions”, concluded Dr Luncheon.

From the scanty scraps of information released by officialdom in the security forces and not refuted by anyone in government, a GDF intelligence officer Robert Pyle was seconded to SOCU and was keeping tabs on what he thought was the home of Winston Brassington. The latter was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) who had been extensively in the news during the past months on account of a “forensic audit” on his corporation that was conducted by Anand Goolsarran, on behalf of the government.

The audit was selectively leaked to the press even before it was presented to Brassington or the NICIL board, but at no time was it even hinted that there was any “money laundering or the financing of terrorism” of Brassington. The Kaieteur News however began a campaign for the head of the NICIL PRO.

On 18 October 2015 it reported ‘Forensic audit recommends criminal charges against Brassington – Minister Sharma’. At that time the draft audit had only been presented to Brassington two weeks before for his response.

On 12 December KN trumpeted, “Brassington engaged criminal companies for Marriott construction – Goolsarran”.

On 19 December, quoting commentator Ramon Gaskin, it claimed, “Despite damning revelations on Winston Brassington’s corrupt acts… Coalition Govt pussyfooting on prosecution”. On the same day, it quoted Orrin Gordon, Region 10’s IMC Chairman: “Brassington must be jailed for his treachery.”

On 21 December the KN went all the way: “Cabinet top brass wants Brassington prosecuted… But says “Minister Jordan should have instituted sanctions by now.” And elaborated, “They indicated that his “acts of corruption against the nation just can’t be pardoned. Cabinet reportedly added “we support Government taking the relevant steps towards ensuring that he does the time for the crime committed.”

The following day, 22 December, Brassington responded by pointing out his detailed line by line riposte to Goolsarran’s report had not been included in the final report and maintained he would be willing to stand before the courts since he had done nothing “illegal”.

And on the same day, 22 December, the KN ran: “Corruption in Public Office… Brassington and others should be charged without delay – Robert Badal”.

The very next day, Minister of the Presidency Joseph Harmon announced that another “deeper” audit – by Auditor General office was to be conducted on NICIL and Brassington was sent “on administrative leave”. He also said that Goolsarran’s report was “being forwarded to the Commissioner of Police and the SOCU”.

“In cabinet’s view there is sufficient information provided in the report to the agencies for them to explore further and basically for them to dig deeper,” he warned.

On 30 December, the presumably “deeper digging” by Pyle ended in tragedy. Guyanese need to know why SOCU was sic’d on Brassington.