Passports returned to former GRDB officials; Trial adjourned to July 11

The Court has ordered the return of passports to the former officials of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) who were charged with fraud when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for the commencement of their trial today (June 22, 2017).

Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) Nigel Dharamlall and Dharamkumar Seeraj along with GRDB former Deputy General Manager, Ricky Ramraj, former General Manager Jagnarine Singh and former GRDB board members Badrie Persaud and Prema Roopnarine pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The charges, which stemmed from the State’s forensic audit report, read that the six accused, between 2011 and 2015, while members of the GRDB board, with intent to defraud, omitted and concurred, entries into a Republic Bank account on the general ledger of the corporation.

The first omission occurred in 2011 to the tune of $52 million.

The other omissions were in the sums of $77.3 million, $130 million, $9.7 million and $145 million.

The prosecution however asked for more time to prepare its evidence.

The next court date is July 11, 2017.

As a result, the condition of bail was adjusted upon request and the passports were returned to the officials.

In the meantime, their nonimmigrant US Visas remain revoked.