THE commissioning of a fully operational Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) is expected within 12 to 14 weeks, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon announced yesterday. 

Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President, in Georgetown, he said Cabinet has approved the turnkey approach to operationalising SOCU.
SOCU was set up in response to a recommendation from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) for Guyana to intensify its investigations and prosecutions of money laundering offenses.
According to Luncheon, the main phases of this turnkey approach would see the rehabilitation of the intended SOCU headquarters on Camp Road. Its rehabilitation has been approved by Cabinet and the five-member investigative complement of staff was also approved by Cabinet.
The formation of a functioning and effective SOCU and its dedication to investigating anti-money laundering crimes will remain on the front burner, Luncheon had said at an earlier press conference.