Last Updated on Friday, 7 March 2025, 22:52 by Writer
The Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on Friday rubbished assertions by a Defence Lawyer, Eusi Anderson that not all of the statements in the fraud charges against former Assistant Police Commissioner, Calvin Brutus were disclosed by the prosecution.
“All statements in the Prosecution’s possession which are relevant to the specific charge in the matter before the Court yesterday (Thursday) have been disclosed by the Prosecution to the Defence several weeks ago,” SOCU said in a statement. SOCU added that the prosecution was well aware of its legal and ethical duty to disclose all relevant evidence, even where it could potentially be favourable to the Defence, and strongly refutes any allegations and imputations to the contrary.
SOCU said at Thursday’s hearing, 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.
That unit said 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 against Mr. Brutus. SOCU added that the Defence could not 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.
In rejecting allegations by Defence Lawyer, Eusi Anderson that SOCU Prosecutors “appear to have withheld evidence that seem to be in favour of former Assistant Commissioner of Police”, SOCU erroneously and presumptuously peddled a self-serving untruth that the lawyer contacted Demerara Waves Online News.
The financial crimes investigative arm of the Guyana Police Force accused Mr Brutus’ defence team of engaging in a “clear fishing expedition” to bolster its case in the public domain and a crass attempt at seeking cheap publicity.
SOCU also said the court adjusted the reporting conditions for the accused based on an oral application by Counsel for Asif Zafarali, Mr. Everton Lammy. The lawyer, according to SOCU, said that was 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.”
According to SOCU the adjusted reporting conditions had nothing to do with the disclosure of statements. “Like the Prosecution, 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,” the police force unit said.
Even as the criminal case is before the court, Mr Brutus was fired on February 5, 2025, by the Police Service Commission based on a recommendation by a Tribunal. He did not attend the tribunal hearings.
The PSC said the particulars of the offence are that Mr Brutus on the 11th day of January, 2024, gave instructions for payment of goods procured by the Government of Guyana, for the GPF, in the sum of GY$13,670,204.00, to be made from the GPF’s Welfare Fund in violation of Standing Order 36 of the GPF.
The second count is that during December 2023 he caused records at the Quartermaster Stores of the GPF to be falsified, purporting to show goods in the value of GY$101,431,050.00 were delivered by Corwin Nicholson trading as 3D Construction to the GPF, knowing same to be false.
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