This is my report on the theft of cash
from my office at GECOM
Dear Editor,
I appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on 3rd February, 2014 to give account for the Stewardship of the Accounting Officer in relation to matters raised in the 2011 Auditor General’s Report.
This report predated my Stewardship by two and a half years. Having experienced the unpleasantness of that meeting, coupled with the various reports in the media, it has become necessary for me to debunk certain misinformation, misrepresentation and innuendoes especially as they relate to the matter specifically relating to me. To this end, I wish to make public the report that I made to the Police on 16th September, 2006 regarding the theft of cash from my office after the fire in September 2006.
I, Calvin Benn am Deputy Commissioner/Deputy Chief Election Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). I hereby state that on Wednesday 13, 2006 (four days after the fire at GECOM) at about 10:30 hrs, Mr. Maxwell, Security Officer attached to GECOM and I entered my office at GECOM Secretariat to retrieve cash, documents, materials and equipment remaining after the fire on September 9, 2006. Several requests each day before September 13, to access the building were refused by the Fire Service and Security guarding the site.
On entering the office it was observed that the office was ransacked and that paper and other materials were strewn all over the floor. The two drawer cabinet used for safe keeping of cash and sensitive articles was opened and the iron bar and padlock used to secure the cabinet were on the floor. I checked the top drawer where I secured four hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars ($435,000.00) and discovered the money was missing along with my Scotia Bank Gold Card. The said sum of money was part of a larger sum issued to me by the Accounts Division to offset costs for various activities for the preparation and conduct of elections and post-election activities.
On examining the padlock it was observed that it was wrenched from the cabinet. I last checked the money around 08:00 hrs on 9th before going to the evaluation session with Registration Officers at the Command Centre at 72 High Street, Kingston, Georgetown. The sum of money was in five bundles/ parcels, four of which contained one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) each and the fifth contained thirty five thousand dollars ($35,000).
I immediately informed Mr. Gocool Boodoo, Chief Election Officer who was at the time checking his office nearby. I also alerted the Chief Security Officer of GECOM Mr. Derick Thompson, who was also in the building and Mr. Keith Lowenfield, Assistant Chief Election Officer who was at the time checking his office next door to mine. The Chief Election Officer showed me a canister in his office which also had the padlock securing it wrenched off and the contents emptied in a chair. The contents were mainly CDs that contained sensitive information.
I hereby wish to report that the sum of money has not been located.
Calvin Benn