Lotto Fund probe… Fugitive suspect located

Jul 01, 2018 News

Wanted: Jadoo Datt

A key suspect wanted for questioning with collecting millions of dollars by way of withdrawals from the Lotto Fund has been located.
A police official yesterday confirmed that Jadoo Datt, a Sheriff Street resident, was located in another jurisdiction. The official, however, declined to go into details except that Datt was in talks with investigators of the police’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) to come back home to speak about his role.
SOCU is reportedly investigating some questionable payments from the Lotto Fund, which was established under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, and controlled by what was then known as the Office of the President.
The fund continues to be under the control of what has now been renamed the Ministry of the Presidency.
Under the arrangements, the fund was to be used for specific purposes. However, a forensic audit raised questions about spending under the PPP/C.
Monies expended were supposed to fund health and other emergencies.
Datt reportedly signed for cheques, to the tune of millions of dollars. Investigators from SOCU reportedly have no idea why Datt collected those cheques and that is why he is wanted for questioning.
Datt is believed to have skipped Guyana on May 15, a day before a wanted bulletin was issued for him by police. It is believed he was tipped off.
However, he may have fled Suriname too, police sources said yesterday.
The request for the wanted bulletin had been with police for about a week before it was issued to media houses.
It is believed that during the “delay”, Datt may have been tipped off about the bulletin and fled.
On May 16, police announced that Datt is wanted for questioning in relation to a number of conspiracies to defraud the Government of Guyana, between the period December 2015 and April 2016.
Datt is said to be 40 years old. His last known address was given as 64 Sheriff Street, Campbellville.
Datt is said to be one of several persons who signed to collect payments issued by the Lottery Control Commission, which has responsibilities over the Lotto Fund. Those cheques were to the tune of millions of dollars.
Under the agreement between the Government of Guyana and the Canadian Bank Note, which is the parent company of the Guyana Lottery Company, this country gets 24 percent of gross revenues from the lottery.
However, over the years, the administration of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has been accused of keeping the monies under its control at the Office of the President, instead of turning it over to the Public Treasury.
It is believed that the fund had hundreds of millions of dollars in it from the Lottery Company.
In fact, the new administration has spent monies from it, including $300M in 2015 on the D’Urban Park.
The Auditor General had reported that between 1996 and 2011, the Government of Guyana received over $4B from the Guyana Lottery Company. The monies were to be used for sports, education and health.
With regards to the SOCU investigations, it was reported that in 2015 the Coalition Government ordered forensic audits into several state entities.
The Lotto Fund was also audited.
It is the findings of the audit that concerned the Ministry of Finance, which handed the report over to the police to be investigated.
A number of Ministry personnel, including Vladim Persaud, the Assistant Accountant General, were among those questioned. He was sent on leave.