Guyanese Online

Canadian court to rule on extradition says Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU)

 Dec 11, 2018 – Kaieteur News

The immigration hearing in relation to former accountant at the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Peter Ramcharran, who is fighting extradition in Canada, has concluded. A Canadian Court is set to rule on the matter soon.
This was disclosed by Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) Prosecutor, Patrice Henry, yesterday, when the case of Police versus Ramcharran – who is charged by police here for several counts of fraud.

The ruling, if favourable, will pave the way for Ramcharran to be extradited to Guyana, where he will face multiple fraud charges in relation to several breaches at GRDB.           

The matter is being heard before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Mr. Henry told the court that the immigration hearing has been concluded, he noted that a date has not been released for the ruling.

In the meantime, Ramcharran remains on a bail bond pending the outcome of the ruling in the Canadian Court. The matter comes up again for hearing before the Chief Magistrate on February 15, 2019.

Ramcharran is wanted in Guyana for alleged breaches at GRDB, an independent state agency that regulates the rice industry.
Already six former officials who were part of the former State entity’s board have been charged and released in relation to the said alleged breached.

The police’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) had successfully moved to the local courts, asking for an arrest warrant for Ramcharran.

Last year, the Chief Magistrate issued same after charges were filed against the fugitive. The Government of Guyana in turn had asked the Canadian authorities to send Ramcharran back.

The GRDB found itself in the spotlight after a forensic audit of that entity revealed among some of the “anomalies” found were loans without proper paperwork or promissory notes.
According to information, the former accountant is heavily implicated in the probe with regards to the six former GRDB board members who have pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The officials charged are former General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Jagnarine Singh; former Deputy General Manager of GRDB Madanlall Ramraj; General Secretary of the Producers Association (RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj; former Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Nigel Dharamlall; former General Manager of the Guyana Oil Company Badrie Persaud and the Deputy Permanent Secretary Finance Ministry of Agriculture, Prema Roopnarine.

The charges against Ramcharran were read in his absence.

It is alleged that between 2011 and 2012, at Lot 16-17 Cowan Street, Kingstown, Jagnarine Singh and Madanlall Ramraj omitted to enter, or to make true entries of over $4.2M into the company’s ledger, knowing that it was contrary to standard operation procedures.

They face 17 other charges, which alleged that during the same time frame, they fraudulently took $5.1M or applied the money for their own use and benefit or any use and purpose, other than that of the GRDB.

As investigations widened into the operations of the GRDB, three former high-ranking officials were slapped with 34 additional fraud-related charges. They were also released on $1M bail each by the Chief Magistrate, after they made an appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, charged with failing to make proper entries into the company’s ledger.
They pleaded not guilty.