–denies withholding evidence that favours former Assistant Commissioner

THE Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), a division of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), has denied media reports claiming that it is withholding evidence that could be in favour of former Assistant Commissioner of Police and attorney-at-law, Calvin Brutus.

Brutus, who was fired by the Police Service Commission (PSC) last month, is facing over 200 charges for serious financial crimes, including money laundering.

On February 6, 2025, the PSC announced the dismissal of Brutus, following a tribunal hearing in which he was found culpable on two charges for breaches to the Police (Discipline) Act.
His dismissal took effect from February 5, 2025. In a statement issued on Friday, SOCU Head, Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, clarified that a news article published on March 7, 2025, which suggested that SOCU prosecutors had withheld evidence in favour of Brutus, is erroneous.

“From the outset, no reporter was in court when the case was called yesterday, 6th March 2025, before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty [at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts]. It is clear that defence counsel contacted Demerara Waves and deliberately concocted a story without affording the Prosecution the right of a hearing,” Karimbaksh said.

He emphasised that Brutus’s attorney, Eusi Anderson has been repeatedly accused of similar conduct in the recent past.

Offering insights into Thursday’s court proceedings, the SOCU Head said: “At the hearing yesterday, defence counsel for Mr. Brutus produced, for the first time, a letter addressed to the court requesting disclosure of over 50 statements which he claims to be in the possession of the prosecution. The statements to which defence counsel refers are either non-existent or have already been disclosed in other matters concerning the over 200 charges for financial crimes.”

Karimbaksh maintained that all statements relevant to the specific charge heard on Thursday were disclosed to the defence several weeks ago by the prosecution.

He added: “This is a clear fishing expedition on the part of the defence to bolster their case in the public domain and a crass attempt at seeking cheap publicity by defence counsel. The defence cannot direct the conduct of investigations in these proceedings by demanding, through a letter to the court, or any other means, that SOCU takes statements from persons of their choice.”
He emphasised that the prosecution is “well aware” of its legal and ethical duty to disclose all relevant evidence, including any that may favour the defense, and firmly rejected any allegations to the contrary.

Finally, the senior policeman noted that the article misleads the reader into believing that the reduced reporting conditions on the accused are the result of the disclosure requests by defence counsel.

“Again, this is a misrepresentation. The court reduced the conditions on an oral application by counsel for Asif Zafarali, Mr. Everton Lammy, due to the frequency with which that accused is required to be at court for the multiple charges. Counsel for Mr. Brutus simply piggy-backed on this application, after the court granted Mr. Zafarali’s request.”

Zafarali is also facing charges related to serious financial crimes and is jointly charged with Brutus in one of the cases. Like the prosecution, Karimbaksh pointed out that defence counsel has a duty to uphold the ethics and standards of the legal profession.

“Mr. Brutus’ team has been consistently and woefully falling short of these basic standards,” Karimbaksh noted.
Brutus is currently facing over 200 criminal charges in relation to financial misconduct involving more than $800 million.

Brutus and his co-accused, including his wife, Adonika Aulder face serious allegations of money laundering, which, if proven, could see them facing lengthy jail time and hefty fines.
Prosecutors alleged Brutus used his position as acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration) to divert public funds into questionable projects, with a significant portion allegedly redirected for personal gain.

Investigations revealed that Brutus and his wife, Adonika 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 following an extensive probe by SOCU.

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.

Brutus has been released on bail amounting to over $16 million, while his co-accused have also posted substantial cash bail. As part of their bail conditions, they are required to report to the police regularly and surrender their passports to the court. However, an exception has been made for Brutus’ wife, who is currently pregnant.