British-funded SOCU adviser fired

Last Updated on Thursday, 31 January 2019, 14:26 by Writer

Dr. Sam Sittlington outside the Guyana Rice Development Board.

The United Kingdom-hired Special Adviser to the Guyana Police Force’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Sam Sittlington, was fired because he set up a private company in Guyana.

“In light of information about Dr Sam Sittlington’s private business interests his contract in Guyana has been terminated with immediate effect”, the United Kingdom High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn said.

The decision came less than one day after the privately-owned Stabroek News newspaper reported that Sittlington registered a private investigative company in Guyana. The name of the entity is The Fraud Company. Records show the company was registered since September, 2016.

Sittlington was hired through Britain’s Security Sector Reform programme.

He had been seen accompanying SOCU agents at a number of raids for documents.