By Leroy Smith

THE Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) early Wednesday morning swooped down on the Kitty, Georgetown home of proprietor of Dhoray’s Fashion, which is located on Regent Street next to the Guyoil Gas Station.

According to information reaching the Guyana Chronicle, the raid was done following intelligence gathered by SOCU ranks. However, the operation has angered the Opposition People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), which has called on the Government to set clear guidelines on the role of SOCU.

During a press conference at Freedom House on Wednesday, former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall revealed that at approximately 05:30 hrs on Wednesday, twelve men from SOCU swooped down on the Kitty home of the Regent Street businessman under the pretext of conducting an Anti-money laundering operation.

According to PPP Member of Parliament, he was advised that the Unit cordoned off the man’s home and barged into the house, where his children and grandchildren were sleeping.

Nandlall reported that SOCU seized several items from the house including financial records and computers before moving over to his store on Regent Street, where they also conducted a search.

According to the former AG, the businessman is his client and has never been involved or charged with any offenses in the past. As such, Nandlall wants Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan to make good on his promise and make the new protocols for SOCU known to the public immediately.

“This Body is acting under a particular provision of the Anti-Money Laundering Act which we objected to while we were in Government and we warned the Opposition not to pursue, not to insert that in the legislation.” Nandlall said.

He explained that SOCU is exercising powers which are bestowed on police and custom officers to go into people’s home to seize money and jewellery exceeding $10M.

At the moment, SOCU is operating under the control of the Ministry of the Presidency and is not an arm of the Guyana Police Force.

“Office of the President as the premier executive arm of the State has no business constitutionally, legally and democratically with the business of investigating. That is not part of executive functions of government so we want the immediate removal of this Body from the Office of the President” Nandlall stated.

According to Nandlall, if SOCU remains under the control of the Ministry of the Presidency, then the contention remains that it is operating under political direction.

Meanwhile, he also reminded that while in government, the PPP pleaded for cash and jewellery exceeding $10M to be seized at ports of entry and exit. He is of the view that the search may have been politically motivated and is more than likely abuse of power granted to SOCU under the Anti-money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act (2015).

During the consideration of Budget 2016 estimates in the National Assembly earlier in the week, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had revealed that the Government is taking steps to remove SOCU from the control of the Ministry of the Presidency and be placed within the Guyana Police Force.

Minister Ramjattan also announced during the budget debate that protocols have been already drafted for the unit.

“…It’s about six pages of protocols as to how they are going to do their operations,” Ramjattan told the National Assembly. He said too that he would make public the protocols that are geared to ensure that SOCU members “come in line” with the Standing Orders of the Guyana Police Force. Ramjattan remarked that when SOCU was established under the then People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration, its Home Affairs Minister had not put in place the protocols for that specialised unit that is tasked with probing financial crimes.