EMBATTLED Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and attorney-at-law Calvin Brutus was granted bail totalling $10,050,000 on Monday. He faced 201 additional charges related to the offence of liability of an officer, marking the first prosecution of its kind in Guyana.
The matters were heard before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Since the charges were laid indictably, he was not required to plead.

These latest allegations add to the growing list of legal troubles facing the 44-year-old policeman.

During Monday’s proceedings, one of Brutus’s lawyers, Yoburn Allicock, requested that his client be released on self-bail. He reminded the court that Brutus had been granted $6.2 million bail last month and had already submitted the transport for his property to secure the bail amount.
The lawyer argued that the purpose of bail is not to punish the accused but to ensure their return to court for trial. Allicock emphasised that there is no indication his client intends to flee, especially since he has already surrendered his passport.
However, the prosecutor strongly opposed the self-bail application, citing the numerous charges and the large sum of money involved. In the end, Magistrate Mc Gusty ordered Brutus to post bail of $50,000 for each of the 201 charges, amounting to a total of $10,050,000.
These 201 charges follow the 30 charges brought against him last month, which include money laundering, misconduct in public office, and larceny by a public officer.

Last month, Brutus, his wife, a police sergeant, and a businessman were brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where they faced numerous charges related to serious financial crimes and other offences. The quartet was arraigned before Magistrate Mc Gusty on charges stemming from an investigation by the Special, Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) involving over $800M. In court, Brutus, who has 25 years of service in the police force, faced 30 charges, including money laundering, obtaining money by false pretence, misconduct in public office, liability of officials, and larceny by public official.

Brutus, along with his former driver, Police Sergeant Kevin George and businessman Asif Zafarally, 34, of Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara (EBD), is accused of obtaining money by false pretence. It is alleged that between June 29 and July 9, 2024, with intent to defraud, they conspired along with each other to uplift $93.6 million from the Guyana Police Consumers’ Cooperative Society Limited (GPCCSL), for goods that were never delivered to the co-op society. They were each granted $500,000 bail for each of these two charges.
Sergeant George is a 31-year-old father of two and has served as a police officer for 13 years.

Brutus’s wife was charged separately with two counts of money laundering, involving $352 million held in her company’s account at Republic Bank. The allegations claimed that in December 2023, she acquired, possessed, or used $352,082,315 from her company’s bank account at Republic Bank, knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that the funds were wholly or partially derived, directly or indirectly, from the proceeds of a crime.
She was granted $1 million bail for these charges.

The two money-laundering charges against her husband involved $105 million related to payments he made for properties in Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) and Alberttown, Georgetown. He was granted $500,000 bail for each charge.
Meanwhile, businessman Zafarally faced two counts of money laundering.
It is alleged that between July 10 and August 15, 2024, at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) at Providence, EBD, he possessed, acquired, and used $93.6 million from his company’s bank account, knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that the funds were wholly or partially derived, directly or indirectly, from the proceeds of a crime.

Brutus was read four counts of misconduct in public office. One charge stated that on January 11, 2024, while serving as acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration), he wilfully misconducted himself by instructing the Police Finance Officer to issue cheques totalling $13,670,204 from the Police Force Central Welfare Account at Republic Bank for goods that he knew were never supplied or delivered, without any justification.

Another charge claimed that Brutus directed an inspector from the Guyana Police Consumers’ Cooperative Society Limited (GPCCSL) to prepare and encash a cheque in her name for $60 million from GPCCSL’s current account at Republic Bank. This amount was intended for repairs and maintenance of police infrastructure, and he allegedly took possession of the funds knowing that the repairs had not been completed and without justification.

A further charge stated that he instructed the same Inspector to prepare and encash a cheque in her name for $20 million from GPCCSL’s current account at Republic Bank to purchase supplies for the Quarter Master Stores, despite knowing that the items were neither supplied nor delivered, and without any valid reason. The fourth charge alleged that Brutus caused the Police Finance Officer to submit 221 payment vouchers related to two companies registered in his wife’s name, which he failed to return to the Police Finance Office.
Brutus was granted bail in the amount of $300,000 for each of the four charges.

Additionally, Brutus faced two charges of larceny by a public officer, with allegations stating that between November 16 and November 29, 2023, at Police Headquarters, he stole $80 million belonging to the GPCCSL. He was granted $1 million bail for these charges.
Furthermore, Brutus has been charged separately with 20 counts of liability of officials under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act. The charges indicated that on various dates in 2023; while serving as acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration), he facilitated the opportunity for his wife to defraud the State of some $3,999,840, through her businesses.

The senior policeman was granted $100,000 bail for each of the 20 charges.
The four accused, each represented by attorneys, were not required to plead to the indictable charges. Bail for Brutus was set at a total of $6.2 million, while his wife, Sergeant George, and businessman Zafarally were granted $1 million, $1 million, and $2 million bail, respectively. In view of the additional charges, Brutus’s total bail stands at $16, 250,000.  All the accused are required to report to the police regularly and surrender their passports as part of their bail conditions, with the exception of Brutus’s wife, who is exempt because her pregnancy.

Regarding the disposing of the matters, the prosecutor informed the court on Monday that the charges will remain indictable, requiring a Paper Committal to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for the accused persons to be tried in the High Court by a judge and jury.
The businessman is being represented by attorneys Glen Hanoman and Everton Singh-Lammy. Brutus and his wife are being represented by a team of attorneys, including Earl Daniels, Eusi Anderson, Yuborn Allicock, Renea Marcus, Cassidé Nurse, and Dominick Bess, who all also appeared on Sergeant George’s behalf.  The money-laundering charges against Zafarally have been transferred to the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts for November 21, 2024.

The matters related to the charges read to the defendants last month will be called again on December 18, 2024, for statements. As for the additional charges, Brutus is scheduled to return to court on January 17, 2025. The charges relate to the alleged misappropriation of over $800 million during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Police (ag) for administration.

Prosecutors allege that Brutus used his position to divert public funds into questionable projects, with a significant portion allegedly redirected for personal gain.
Investigations revealed that Brutus and Aulder allegedly acquired substantial funds through unlawful means, which they then attempted to disguise in multiple bank accounts.
Of this amount, $300 million is associated with properties and other assets belonging to Brutus and his wife. The remaining $500 million has been frozen in several bank accounts belonging to Brutus, his wife, their businesses, and their four-year-old son. Charges were recommended for the accused persons by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Brutus has maintained his innocence, asserting that the charges are fabricated.

He has maintained that the money in question represented his savings accumulated over the years, as well as wedding and holiday gifts from family and friends.