Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:25 AM
Jan 10, 2017 News
City Magistrate Fabayo Azore has been assigned by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to preside over the trial of Carvil Duncan in relation to the alleged theft of over $27,757,500 from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).
When the matter was called in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday, Magistrate Azore fixed January 25, for commencement of trial.
The reassignment of the case comes days after Magistrate Leron Daly recused herself from the matter on the ground that she presided over the trial for which Duncan was charged with stealing $984,900 from GPL, and found him not guilty.
Duncan, 73, of 1977 Williamstad Road, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown and former Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPL Aeshwar Deonarine are accused of being part of a multimillion-dollar fraud at the company.
They are alleged to have illegally transferred almost $28M to their personal bank accounts from GPL. The Government had asked the police to investigate the two senior officials in July 2015.
It was reported that the men paid themselves without authorization.
In light of investigations, Deonarine was sent on administrative leave.
The discoveries of the suspicious transfers were made by independent auditors who were probing the PetroCaribe Fund, which holds proceeds of oil shipments taken from neighbouring Venezuela.
It was while tracking payments to GPL that auditors unearthed the strange transactions. Deonarine, who had been responsible for administration had reportedly wanted to receive the same level of pay as the then Deputy CEO (Technical), Colin Welch, but his approaches to the Board of Directors were rebuffed. He had reportedly offered to repay the money but GPL was supposed to have waited until it was transferred from his US bank account.
In light of the revelations, joint charges were instituted against Duncan and Deonarine in January 2016 for the theft of $984,900 and $27,757,500 respectively, from the power company.
However, Duncan was the only one present to answer to the charges since Deonarine fled the country. The Chief Magistrate had issued a warrant for his arrest.
A few months after the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) withdrew the charges against Deonarine and the prosecution made a request to the court to have Deonarine’s name amended from the joint charges to proceed with trial of Duncan. This request was granted.
In light of the court proceeding, President David Granger ordered that Duncan be suspended from constitutional bodies.
A President-appointed tribunal comprising Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire, Justice (retd.) Winston Patterson, and Attorney Robert Ramcharran, was set up to determine whether the criminal charge Duncan was facing was enough to have him removed as Chairman of the Public Service Commission.
However, Duncan and his attorney Anil Nandlall moved to the High Court and had the tribunal halted by Justice Franklin Holder.
This prohibited the tribunal from investigating and pronouncing on whether Duncan should remain a Member of the Public Service Commission, Judicial Service Commission and Police Service Commission.
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