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The Home Affairs Ministry (MoHA) said that, consequent upon unsubstantiated allegations that have been, are being, and continue to be made in some sections of the media and by certain political elements with regards to the utilization of the sum of $90,649,200 by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) sought and obtained from the GPF a report and other documented evidence in an effort to put this issue to rest.The sum allocated to the GPF was to meet the following expenditures:
(i) $39,641,200 to take care of budgetary shortfall to run the routine operations of the GPF under line item # 6261 – local travel and subsistence. This shortfall was brought to the attention of the Ministry of Finance as early as the second quarter of 2011.
(ii) $8,000,000 to cater for the transport and travelling of ranks specific to General and Regional Elections’ activities. This sum was fully expended for that purpose.
(iii) $43,008,000 to provide for the feeding of police ranks, who were inline prior to, during, and after the elections. This expenditure also catered for the provision of rations for police ranks that were required to travel to outlying areas in the interior of the country to protect the integrity of the elections’ process.
MoHA yesterday said that, as is customary, the provision for the feeding of police ranks was done in a manner consistent with the size, needs and peculiarities of each divisional cluster.
The MoHA is not reluctant to provide details of the utilization of the $43,008,000, thus the under-mentioned breakdown of the expenditure has been provided.
As regards the allegation made by a divisional commander that he did not receive money from the GPF for elections, the GPF is in possession of the returned cheque in the sum of $320,000 which the ministry has been advised was endorsed by that commander and encashed by his divisional finance rank.
As was indicated in an earlier GPF press release, the organisation is still holding the sum of $10,515,000, which represents the balance from the $43,008,000 to ensure that all payments relating to activities specific to the feeding of police ranks for elections are being addressed.
The MoHA reiterates its strong commitment to strict financial accountability, and wishes once again to assure the general public that at no time would it allow any breaches of the financial regulations to be occasioned.
An earlier statement had detailed how the money was disbursed to the various divisions, including the interior division where the said divisional commander presided, but he maintained that he “never received a cent”.
The Home Affairs Minister said he was “very concerned about the commander’s breach of the Force’s standing order.” He said that commanders of the Guyana Police Force must take full responsibility when, as a result of their breaching the standing orders, the issues they pursue publicly become politically controversial, resulting in the Force being put unnecessarily on public trial.
On March 6, 2012, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) sought to clear the air on the issue of the “missing $90M” which was highlighted in a section of the media recently.
The GPF said that, cognizant of recent publications in the print media concerning an alleged “missing $90M” that was allocated to the GPF for the conduct of policing duties during the last general and regional elections, and which have resulted from unofficial, unauthorized and misleading statements from a police divisional commander, the Guyana Police Force wishes to set the records straight.
A press release said that during 2011, the GPF prepared a budget of proposed activities for the general and regional elections 2011, which was submitted to the Ministry of Finance through the Ministry of Home Affairs. Subsequently supplementary provisions were received by the Police Force during November 2011 in the sum of $90,649,200.
The release noted that of this amount $39,641,200 was for the shortfall on voted provisions, and $51,008,000 was received under line item # 6261 – local travelling and subsistence – which also caters for the feeding of police ranks during the inlining period for elections. The Force wishes to clarify that the sum allotted to the police for elections duties was $51,008,000, and not the total $90,649,200.
The release added that $8M was to facilitate the cost of travelling expenses, and the remaining $43,008,000 was brought to account by the police. A total sum of $32,491,822 was drawn out to Police divisions, Police Headquarters and Special Constabulary Headquarters, to meet expenditure for the feeding of ranks.
The document stated that police divisions, Police Headquarters and the Special Constabulary Headquarters were allocated cash and commodities from the Police Consumers’Cooperative Society Ltd. and other outlets for the feeding of ranks.
The release said that Police Headquarters comprises all the branches of the GPF, such as the Tactical Services Unit, CID Headquarters, the Felix Austin Police College, Immigration, Commissioner’s Office, General Office, Finance Office, the Police Band, and Quartermaster Stores etc. However, the Tactical Services Unit received a separate allocation for the elections’ period.
The following is a breakdown of how the monies were allocated:
Police Headquarters – $9,500,251.
“A” Division – $8,526,676.
“B” Division — $3,459,851.
“C” Division — $2,299,465.
“D” Division — $1,199,037.
“E&F” Division – $1,696,888.
“G” Division — $1,136,623.
TSU $4,176,144.
Special Constabulary – $496,887.
The remaining sum of $10,516,178 is still in the Force’s accounting system.
The GPF yesterday reiterated that monies received were allocated to the appropriate divisions and branches for the feeding of ranks and other policing activities during the elections, and that there was nothing sinister in the handling of the monies, as alluded to by the media.
