A FUNCTIONARY of the Education Department in Mabaruma, Barima Waini, Anthony Hazel, has been reportedly accused of forging the Regional Executive Officer’s (REO) signature to obtain a refrigerator from the Regional Stores.

When the Guyana Chronicle contacted the REO, Randolph Storm, he explained that Hazel has gotten off on several occasions with his obstructive behaviour.

Storm said that last week it was brought to his attention that a refrigerator was removed from the Regional Stores, and taken to the home of Hazel. He however, could not have recalled signing any requisition for the refrigerator.
Upon investigating within their office, the prepared requisition was found, but the REO had not signed, and his signature is mandatory, before an item can be removed from the stores.

Storm said that he immediately contacted the Regional Education Officer (REdO), who is the supervisor of the person in question. The REdO confirmed that Storm’s signature is in the requisition book, giving permission for the refrigerator. The signature is said to be forged, as the REO denied that it was he who signed.

The matter was subsequently taken to the Mabaruma Police Station, and the accused was arrested and was later granted station bail. The police retrieved the fridge from the home of Hazel, however, the issue of the forged signature is yet to be investigated.

Commander of ‘F’ Division (Interior locations), Kevin Adonis, told this newspaper that the investigations on that aspect will be a process, as handwriting specialists will have to go in to conduct investigations to determine who forged the REO’s signature. Adonis also noted that the issue seems to be a departmental one, however, the forging will attract a criminal charge, should the malefactor be identified.

Prior to this issue, Storm pointed out that on Republic Day, Hazel went into the region office compound and took a vehicle without permission. Hazel was reportedly drunk at the time, and crashed the said vehicle. According to Storm, “the vehicle is now a total write-off”.

REO said, “the police did nothing about the situation when the report was made… I just don’t want the police to drag their feet on this matter too.”
Meanwhile the Government of Guyana is working assiduously to stomp out corruption in public offices.

Just a few months ago, the Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, along with a team of state counsel, held the public Anti-Corruption Sensitisation Seminar at Mabaruma, where several representatives of the public offices were present.
The AG had told the gathering, “We have had serious corruption over the years, as have been revealed by many forensic audits, so we have been travelling across the country – region to region – because it is important that you are sensitised about corruption. It is very important that you understand what you can do, and what you ought not to do.
The REO had also reinforced that corrupt acts rob people of so many benefits.
“Don’t rob yourself of ‘the good life,’ do the right thing and we all will benefit… I know that we the citizens of Region One will make every effort based on what we learn today to root out all of the corrupt practices that take place in Barima-Waini,” Storm said.