Latest update March 29th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 07, 2009 News
A key employee implicated in a multi-million-dollar fraud conspiracy at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has vanished.
GRA sources yesterday said the staffer was initially questioned when the fraud was discovered on Tuesday. However, the employee disappeared shortly after and police have found no trace. A senior GRA staff has since said that the employee is believed to have fled the country.
It is believed that up to $300M is unaccounted for as police intensify their probe at GRA.
Four persons, including cashiers and an Information Technology person, said to be the mastermind, are in custody.
As investigators attempt to piece together the puzzle, Commissioner-General of GRA, Khurshid Sattaur, urged importers who may have been involved in the fraud conspiracy to come forward or face the full consequences.
Describing the fraud as very serious, Sattaur commended a number of GRA officers who blew the whistle on the fraud conspiracy and said they “very bravely revealed” it.
According to Sattaur, checks have revealed instances of irregular transactions during different periods over the last year. While the official did not go into details, another GRA official said that from initial checks, it is believed that for some time now, payments for imported goods were pilfered by cashiers.
The official said that it could have been a case where the importer, after being assessed, went to the cashier at Customs House to pay. However, either the amounts were never recorded in the GRA computer system or a lower amount was recorded.
In another scenario, it could be that the importer was involved and paid bribes to ensure he or she did not pay the full amount.
What suspects possible did not cater for was that GRA’s system is interlinked with transactions being done in triplicate. With several checks along the way, the system will balance itself each day and any shortages or excess cash is bound to show up.
On Wednesday, GRA said that from initial investigations, its IT security system was compromised in a scheme that may have started a year ago and involved several prominent businesses.
“The successful detection came as a result of the proper functioning of the internal control system and the scrupulous performance of duties by some staff members which led to further checks being carried out by a special team on the IT system.”
It is believed that the lone IT staff was the mastermind of the plot.
Sattaur said that the extent of the fraud is likely to be in the vicinity of millions of dollars but acknowledged that it is too early for him to have a precise estimate.
It is believed that the manipulation of information on the GRA system started over a year ago and would have seen a significant amount of revenue being fraudulently converted on some days.
“The GRA recently implemented a new information technology system costing in excess of US$6M through support given under loan agreement with the Inter American Development Bank (IDB). This system has strengthened GRA’s safeguards against fraud and corruption.”
GRA said that the integrated database has high security features that are capable of tracking any unauthorised use of the system.
GRA was able to determine through this feature who would have had access to the system and as such was able to pinpoint exactly the staff who made the adjustments.
“The Commissioner General is not ruling out the linkages this fraud may have with prominent city businesses because of the high prevalence of these businesses featuring in the information being provided by the system.”
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
Mar 29, 2024
By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – After a series of outstanding performances in 2023, Tianna Springer, dubbed the ‘wonder girl’, is eagerly gearing up to compete in this year’s...Kaieteur News – Good Friday in Guyana is not what it used to be. The day has lost much of its solemnity. The one day... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – In the face of escalating global environmental challenges, water scarcity and... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]