Police in Guyana Probe Missing Funds From GECOM

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Police say they have detained an employee of the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) Finance Department in connection with the alleged theft of an estimated five million dollars that had to be used to pay polling day staff in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Department, Deputy Commissioner Wendell Blanhum told the online publication, Demerara Waves Online News that an Assistant Accounts Clerk was held after some of the money was found in his possession.

 “A small fraction of the stolen money was recovered by detectives in possession of an Assistant Accounts Clerk,” Blanhum said, adding that “the probe is ongoing” into the alleged theft of the money between September 15 and 16 at the GECOM Secretariat.

Police were called in last Thursday after word emerged that the money had disappeared  from GECOM’s Finance Department. Severa officials of the Finance Department are assisting the police with their investigations and each released on GUY$50,000 bail.

GECOM’s Presiding Officers are to be paid GUY$100,000, Assistant Presiding Officers GUY$80,000 and Poll Clerk and other officials GUY$70,000 for work on the September 1 general and regional elections.