CAROL Smith-Joseph, the Chief Scrutineer of the APNU+AFC, was slapped with 16 fraud charges this morning connected to her work at the Mahaica Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS) Rice Milling Complex Limited as a director in 2016 during the coalition’s time in government.

See the full statement of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) below:

During the month of March 2022, a report was made to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) by Mahaica Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS) Rice Milling Complex Limited, a Private Company registered under the Companies Act. Cap 89:01 of fraudulent appropriation of funds of that company by Carol Joseph, who was a director of that company at the time.  As a result of that report, SOCU commenced investigations. 

During the course of the investigations it was revealed that Carol Joseph as a director on the Mahaica Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS) board, without authority, solely approved fourteen transactions amounting to GC $6,121,108.00 without the Board’s knowledge and approval  between 1st June 2016 and August 2016. 

These amounts were used for her personal benefits and other purposes other than that of Mahaica Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS’S) business. On completion of the investigations a file was prepared and sent to the DPP’s Chambers for legal advice. 

Based on legal advice from the DPP’s chambers, she was invited to SOCU on today’s date (9th December, 2022) where 14 allegations of Fraudulent Appropriation of Property of Body Corporate were put to her to the total value of GC $6,121,108.00 committed on Mahaica Abary Rice Development Scheme (MARDS) Rice Milling Complex Limited.