THE Audit Report on the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) is now with the Police Legal Adviser, Justice Claudette Singh, President David Granger disclosed on Wednesday.
It was explained that the report, which contains damning findings on the operations of the anti-crime unit, was handed over to the Police Legal Adviser by the Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, for advice. The audit of SOCU was launched in February on the instructions of the Police Commissioner following claims of grave mismanagement, which included the misuse of its operational funds.

On the conclusion of a ceremony at the Ministry of the Presidency, President Granger, while fielding questions from reporters, said the Police Commissioner will take necessary action. “I asserted correctly that SOCU is an organic part of the Guyana Police Force, so in terms of investigation, in terms of any recommendations out of the investigation, it would be up to the Commissioner of the Police Force to initiate action, and I’m sure, I will be advised by the Minister of Public Security,” President Granger said.

Approximately one week ago, President Granger had assured that necessary actions will be taken if it is found that there were acts of misconduct. “It is an organic part of the police force and it is not a free agent; it is not a loose cannon and we will ensure that the public confidence in SOCU is restored but it’s going to remain. It’s not going to be dismantled. It has work to do,” the President said.

Head of SOCU, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sydney James, who has also been interviewed during the investigation so far, is still on the job. Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, at a recent news conference, hinted that a shake-up at SOCU was imminent.

“I have seen the report, it is not a very nice report and the commissioner has told me that he is going to take action. Operational matters a minister must not indulge in and that is an operational matter. I am hoping that action will be taken very early. Certainly [there] will have to be shifting around, probably some terminations too. I don’t know what his [the commissioner] decision will be, but that is going to be the commissioner’s decision,” Minister Ramjattan told reporters.

The audit has reportedly uncovered serious irregularities, including the falsification of records. The police commissioner had cause to summon the SOCU head to a meeting to discuss issues including mismanagement of operational funds at the agency, after it came under public scrutiny. This was after the firing of then adviser, Dr. Sam Sittlington, and the resignation of another senior official. According to an earlier report by this publication, the problems at SOCU have been long-standing, and it was reported that Sittlington had observed issues pertaining to mismanagement at the agency and those issues were raised with the head of SOCU.

It was also reported that Sittlington had encountered resistance at a very high level within SOCU when he first joined the agency, but given government’s determination to have the programme of the agency remain functional, such resistance had to be quelled. Among the more notable issues which recently made its way into the public domain, was the resignation of Sheronie James, the former deputy head of SOCU, who resigned amid concerns about her credentials. Ms. James was hired by SOCU on the basis of documentation she had reportedly presented, indicating that she was an ACCA affiliate; it was subsequently discovered that the certification she had proffered belonged to another person who lives in Ghana and who bears the same name.