GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Oct 25, CMC – The Assistant Police Commissioner, Calvin Brutus, and his wife, Adonika Aulder, have been released on bail after they appeared in a magistrate’s court on Thursday in relation to several charges ranging from money laundering, conspiracy to defraud, larceny to misconduct in public office and liability of public officers.
The embattled senior police officer has been slapped with 30 financial crime charges for transactions totalling GUY$376.2 million (one Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) while his wife was charged with two counts of money laundering for allegedly having GUY$243.3 million in the account of her business, South Quata, between December 1, 2023 and July 1, 2024, and GUY$108.6 million in a “Triple ‘A’ Depot business account.
The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said that the the monies in whole or in part were derived directly or indirectly from the proceeds of crime.
Brutus is facing 240 charges and after more than two hours before the Acting Chief Magistrate, Faith McGusty, on Thursday, only 30 of the charges had been read to him.
He was granted a total of GUY$6.2 million bail on those charges, with the Magistrate indicating that the remaining charges will have to be read to him at a later date.
As part of the bail agreement, the Assistant Police Commissioner will have to lodge his passport and report to SOCU once every month throughout the case. The prosecutors had objected to bail, but the Magistrate proceeded to grant bail on the charges read out on Thursday.
Brutus, who was dressed in his official uniform, is being represented by a battery of lawyers . The prosecution alleges that he allegedly misappropriated large sums of money to his personal benefit.
A joint charge was laid against Brutus, police sergeant Kevin George and businessman Ashraf Zafarally, and the second charge was against Brutus and the 74 year-old businessman, who was granted GUY$500,000 bail.
The other co-accused were also granted GY$500,000 bail on each charge. They all have to lodge their passports and report monthly to the SOCU.
CMC/gt/or/2024