Police wrap up probe into theft at Diamond Drug bond
Police wrap up probe into theft at Diamond Drug bond
– awaiting Health Ministry’s valuation of missing items
By Zena Henry
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Police Force has completed its investigation into the alleged theft of pharmaceutical supplies at the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) drugs bond but is currently awaiting the value of the missing items. In providing an update on the probe, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told the Kaieteur newspaper that the investigation is “almost completed,” but they are still to receive the value of the items in question.
One of the photos obtained by KN shows drugs aback the Diamond bond after hours awaiting an alleged unauthorized pick up
Blanhum explained that the Ministry would have conducted an appraisal to ascertain the missing items. He said that the audit of the bond was conducted by the ministry, but was sent to the police with “no value” provided for the list of items. Once that information is provided, the file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice, Blanhum related. The Crime Chief could not go in-depth on the investigation, but he did inform that several of those arrested for the missing supplies are currently out bail.
Outside of this, credible information reaching the newspaper has stated however that investigators would have received pertinent information to show that several of those arrested indeed had information about the missing items. The law enforcement source told the publication that photo and even video evidence were provided to the police showing the drugs outside of the facility, allegedly awaiting its removal from the premises.
Kaieteur News was told that the police heard that several senior persons, some of whom are posted at the Health Ministry were well aware of the illegal acts even before the police were called in to investigate the case. The information said that employees at the drug bond would have secured the video and photo evidence and provided it to both the Health Ministry and the Diamond bond Human Resource heads. Evidence was reportedly provided to the warehouse supervisor and Director among other named persons, but no action was said to have been taken to address the problem.
The Kaieteur News was told that the Diamond bond issue came up when the Guyana Revenue Authority went into a city business to conduct its work and found that drugs in the business’s possession were not obtained legitimately. The drugs’ batch number was traced back to the Diamond bond after the business owner reportedly identified persons from there whom the items were procured.
At least 13 persons were said to have been arrested in connection with the matter, including senior and junior staff members. The source told the Kaieteur News that while the theft of the ministry’s supplies seems to be a regular occurrence, some would want investigators to believe that the issue is a small matter of simple larceny. “But this is not the case,” the newspaper was told. “Several persons were aware of what was happening. Several senior staff members were told about the movement of the drugs, but no one seemed to have done anything.”
The newspaper was told that according to information received, the removal of the ministry’s items was so massive, that even security guards were said to be involved. He said that investigators were told that the drug bond would have changed at least three security guards, and at one point, the security agency itself was changed, but the removal of the ministry’s property continued. It was said too that removal of the bond’s contents usually occurred at nights where the drugs would be placed at the back of the facility to be uplifted by the potential buyer. It is for this reason the security guards were involved, the newspaper was told.
Kaieteur News understands however that the Health Ministry would have claimed that several millions in drugs went missing. A ministry insider said that initially some $2M in items was said to be missing. To date, authorities are allegedly claiming more than $13M in missing items. The source was unable to say whether that information was reported to the police. Kaieteur News was unable to reach Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony for a comment as several calls to his cell phone went unanswered.
Several ministry staffers were arrested in relation to the drug matter; some persons were on the police radar while others were fingered as persons of interest. Terrence Williams, for example, was fingered as a person of interest. When intercepted by police ranks, Williams was said to have almost five million dollars in his vehicle as well as two firearms for which he had no licence. Williams also attempted to bribe a police rank with more than a million dollars in return for his freedom. Five charges were later instituted against the bond staff and he was remanded to prison.
