Major fraud uncovered at public trustee’s office

THE Ministry of Legal Affairs last week called in the police and handed over a staff member of the Office of the Public Trustee, after she was found to have engaged in a fraudulent transaction that could cause the state to be sued for millions of dollars.

The head of the trustee’s office told the Guyana Chronicle that the matter had to do with the member of staff colluding with the applicant for a letter of administration to defraud a sibling by deliberately omitting that sibling’s name from the document.
She said that when the court became aware of what the applicant had done or was trying to do, which was sometime during this year, it immediately ordered that the letter of administration be revoked.

But in spite of knowing of the revocation, the staff allegedly continued to engage the applicant in his attempt to effect a name change so as to counter the order.
It is also alleged that in the process of effecting the name change, the errant public trustee staff member did not see it fit to inform her former supervisor, who is now a sitting judge, nor the current one about the applicant’s unusual request.

It was only after the trustee’s office received the written ruling on the matter that they became aware that something was amiss.
What was also apparent, based on the dates on the ruling and other dates to which references were made, was that the errant public trustee staff was still in contact with the applicant who was attempting to have the letter of administration issued to him, and what’s more, he was still visiting the trustee’s office although the court had made its ruling.

The head of the trustee’s office told this publication that when the matter was reviewed, questions were raised as to why the man was still visiting the trustee’s office after the court had ruled against his being granted the letter of administration he sought.
Not only that, but questions were also raised as to whether the public trustee official was in essence assisting the man to sell the property he so desperately coveted, as she continued filing documents in his name only, with no mention of the sister’s.

When questioned about her involvement in what was clearly a forgery, she reportedly told the head of the trustee’s office that she saw nothing wrong with doing as bidden, even though there was evidence of ‘White-out’ being used in places on some of the papers which were being processed.

Contacted for a comment, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams told the Guyana Chronicle that while he is very disappointed at the news of the alleged fraud, he was pleased that the head of the unit was able to ferret out the culprit and bring the matter to the attention of her superiors.

He said the ministry has zero tolerance for such malpractices, moreso since it is the lead agency in the country that has been tasked with executing the anti-corruption policy on behalf of the government.

He used the occasion to remind employees of state agencies and ministries not to steal or in any way misappropriate state assets.

The minister reminded that his office and even, he, himself has been visiting the various regions where they have workshops and where persons are reminded that they should safeguard the resources and assets of the state and the integrity of the offices for which they work.

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