THE Office of the Auditor General (AG) has commenced an investigative audit on fuel collection in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) in light of an allegation surfacing that fuel had been obtained illegally from the Guyana Oil Company Limited (Guyoil) last December.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Collin Croal, provided this update in a press conference held yesterday at that ministry’s Fort Street, Kingston head office, when he spoke about a scandal involving an amount of fuel worth in excess of $2M which the AG’s Office was asked to probe as deeply as possible.

The Ministers of Local Government and Regional Development, Messrs Ganga Persaud and Norman Whittaker, were present at that press conference.

According to Croal, on February 28 last, Region Four received a report from the manager of the Kitty Pump Station identifying some alleged forgery on a fuel slip, and indicating to the region something suspicious in terms of the requisition being made for the fuel to be collected in containers.

The region immediately informed the ministry, Croal stated, and Regional Executive Officer Deolall Rooplall, who is on leave, was brought out to lead a preliminary investigation, along with another staff member from the ministry, to ascertain the alleged forgery that had been committed and the next steps to be taken.

Having visited Guyoil and collected slips, Croal said, the ministry received a preliminary report last week Friday, after which a letter was dispatched to the AG, inviting the office to conduct an investigation.
According to Croal, the driver in question, the person taking the fuel slip, had been mere months on the job in the region.

A letter was also dispatched to Police Commissioner Brumell, Croal advised.