FORMER Sports Director Christopher Jones was on Friday released on $100,000 station bail after being arrested in the wee hours of the morning at his home for simple larceny in relation to several barber chairs and other items.

Jones was first taken by the police to the Diamond Police Station and later transferred to the Brickdam Police Station, where he was questioned by investigators.
Police carried out a search on Jones’ Tucville home during a power outage; however, they initially had no warrant to carry out the search and seizure, but eventually got one, and pressed ahead with seizing a quantity of barbershop chairs and other item.
The search was executed after an audit of the Ministry of Social Protection showed that it had approved the disbursement of $4.9M, through the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) administration, for the procurement of equipment for a barbershop under the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme.

The presentation of a financial return would reveal that the entire sum of money was spent by December 31, 2019, but almost $1M in items had not physically been delivered, but were instead stored at Jones home, and neither had the project been executed.

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), David Granger, has since issued a statement criticising the treatment that was meted out to Jones.
According to Granger, ranks of the Guyana Police Force, who blatantly disregarded an order of the court and unlawfully entered Jones’ premises arrested him and seized personal property, must be condemned and investigated.
He described the incident as harassment and a politically-inspired ‘witch-hunting’ of current and former public servants.