GEORGETOWN, Guyana, May 19 2017 – Two opposition legislators and a former deputy Permanent Secretary are among six people charged on Friday in connection with a multi-million dollar fraud at the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), dating back to 2011.
The six, all former GRDB board members were slapped with fines totalling GUY$400 million. They were also ordered to surrender their passports.
The court was told that the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) legislators Dharamkumar Seeraj and Nigel Dharamlall along with GRDB Head Ricky Ramraj, former General Manager Jagnarine Singh, former GRDB board member Badrie Persaud and Former Ministry of Agriculture Deputy Permanent Secretary, Prema Roopnarine, conspired to omit entering different sums of money into a ledger.
Dharamlall was only charged in relation to the 2011 and 2012 omission while the others were slapped with all five charges.
They were charged following investigations that were prompted by the findings of a forensic audit.
The matter has been adjourned until June 22.
