– following massive irregularities in driver’s exam

THREE subordinate officers and a civilian are to be charged soon for the massive driver’s licence fraud which occurred in April 2018.

In a statement to the media, the police said a police sergeant is to be charged with 12 counts of having conspired with others to commit a misdemeanour, while a female corporal is to be charged with 18 counts of the said offence. A corporal will be charged with 20 counts of the same offence, while the civilian will be charged with two counts of obtaining money by false pretence.

The police officers will be charged in accordance with Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01. The charges are being laid in accordance with legal advice obtained, the police said Friday.

In April, the police force had announced that the Office of Professional Responsibility had launched an investigation into what it described as “massive irregularities” in the Guyana Police Force’s learner driver’s theoretical examination, which took place on April 12, 2018 at the Felix Austin Police College, Georgetown.

The investigation was launched after a report was made by a senior pastor serving as Chaplain to the commissioner of police (ag) indicated that after the examination had finished, his pastor colleagues reported that some 174 persons were registered to write the said examination, but 106 persons presented themselves on the said day.
However, 207 scripts were received at the conclusion of the examination and 155 of the 207 scripts were completed.

Initial enquiries revealed that a senior subordinate officer who was mandated to oversee this theoretical examination in collaboration with two pastors from the COPS and Faith Community Network partnership with the Guyana Police Force, along with three junior ranks, left the examination venue shortly after the examination commenced and did not return.

Additionally, a junior subordinate officer who ought not to have been at the examination venue, presented himself, spent some time and left.

The three constables left the examination venue prior to the counting of the examination scripts by members of the COPS and Faith Community Network after the conclusion of the examination.

Only the members of the COPS and Faith community Network that is the two pastors were left in possession of the completed examination papers. The force said based on the aforementioned, a complete breach of the Standard Operating Procedure governing the administration and conduct of the Learner Driver’s theoretical examination had occurred.
As a result, the members of the public who sat the said examination were required to resit same.