A SPECIAL Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) investigation into the alleged fraudulent issuance of driver’s licences at the Springlands Licensing and Certifying Office has intensified, with investigators seizing cash, competence certificates and official records and placing a police sergeant attached to the office under close arrest.
The development came on Thursday, August 13, 2026, when SOCU officers intercepted a motor car driven by the sergeant, identified in the information provided as Sergeant Withrite, on the Number 48 Public Road, Corentyne.
According to information provided to this newspaper, a search of the vehicle uncovered a black haversack containing 94 competence letters for different classes of vehicles, issued in the names of persons from various parts of the county, as well as $564,000 in Guyana currency and US$40.
The sergeant reportedly could not provide investigators with a satisfactory explanation for the Guyana currency found in his possession.
Investigators subsequently returned with the sergeant to the Licensing and Certifying Office at the Springlands Police Station, where a further search was conducted.
During that search, two additional competence books containing 61 entries for different persons and classes of vehicles were reportedly found. The entries are alleged to indicate that certificates of competence had been prepared in the names of applicants who had not undergone the required practical examinations.
The competence books, along with other books used at the office, were seized by investigators for examination.
The Guyana Police Force, in confirming the investigation, said SOCU ranks had visited the Springlands office and secured relevant records and documentation for detailed examination. The Force said investigators are conducting a comprehensive review of the office’s operations, including records and transactions.
The police sergeant was subsequently placed under close arrest and is assisting with the investigation.
Information reaching this newspaper also contains unverified allegations that the detained sergeant made claims during questioning about a wider network involving other police ranks.
Those allegations have not been independently verified and have not been publicly confirmed by the Guyana Police Force. The claims reportedly include an assertion that the alleged sale of driver’s licences involved senior members of the Force and that substantial sums were allegedly distributed as bribes.
The alleged statements, if substantiated, could significantly widen the scope of the investigation. However, no other police officer has been publicly identified by the Force as being implicated in the probe.
There are also unverified claims that the same sergeant had previously been arrested in connection with alleged irregularities at the Springlands office and was subsequently returned to duties there. Those claims have not been confirmed by the GPF.
The latest operation comes as investigators continue to examine intelligence and information relating to the issuance of driver’s licences and the operations of licensing and certifying offices.
The GPF has reiterated its zero-tolerance position on corruption, misconduct and breaches of public trust.
The Force said any rank found culpable of criminal or disciplinary wrongdoing will be dealt with in accordance with the law and its established disciplinary procedures.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the GPF has indicated that further information will be released as it becomes available.
The allegations remain subject to investigation, and no person should be regarded as having committed an offence unless and until the allegations are established through due process.
