Region 3 accounts dept staff to face suspension for missing 10-day salaries

Last Updated on Saturday, 20 June 2026, 16:19 by Denis Chabrol

As the Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands) administration awaits the status of a police investigation into the disappearance of GY$2.3 million in salaries for National Pathway workers, four accounts department staff would be suspended, a top regional official said.

Region Three Chairman Sheik Mohamed Inshan Ayube said the monies vanished from an accounting cage pending their delivery to more than 50 National Pathway workers, who were to be paid $40,000 each, in March, 2026.

“When they checked off the cash and they left in the cage, they went to lunch and when they came back, like the money was misplaced,” he said.

He said the employees, who were involved, restituted the funds so that the workers could have been paid.

He said the four female accounts department workers had been re-assigned pending a police report, but now that document had been delayed they would be suspended without pay from Monday.

“We will be suspending Monday until we get a definite pronouncement from the police,” he said.

Mr Ayube explained that those not found culpable would return to work and their salaries paid.

Mr Ayube said a cheque for a lumpsum amount is written to the regional administration, that is cashed and the individual payments are placed in envelopes for disbursement.

But A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parliamentarian Ganesh Mahipaul said he has since formally asked the Auditor General to conduct a “thorough investigation” into how the monies for the part-time 10-day workers disappeared.

“I respectfully request that your office conduct a full audit and investigation into the allocation, disbursement, and management of these funds and make the findings available through the appropriate channels. It is important that any irregularities be addressed promptly and corrective measures implemented to prevent future occurrences,” he said in a statement.

The call for the Auditor General to conduct an investigation comes at a time when Mr Mahipaul said workers should be paid individually by cheque with an accompanying paper trail that could minimise or track down irregularities.

“I want him to tell me whether accounting measures and financial practices were breached because how can $2.3 million could go missing? It could only mean that the money was in liquid cash,” he told Demerara Waves Online News.

Mr Mahipaul said there was no reason now for persons to be paid salaries in cash because they should all by now have bank accounts as a preferred requirement to receive the Guyana government’s universal GY$100,000 cash grant.

But the Region Three chairman pointed to the likely inconvenience of persons in the riverain and remote areas having to travel to a bank to change salary cheques.

He said the option would be discussed with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

Mr Mahipaul said the loss or mismanagement of public funds intended for vulnerable citizens raises serious concerns, and so the reported disappearance of those funds warrants urgent attention to determine the circumstances surrounding the matter, identify whether proper financial procedures were followed, and establish accountability where necessary.

He said public confidence in government programmes depends heavily on transparency, effective oversight, and the responsible management of taxpayers’ resources.