Documents, TVs, money stolen from GPSU

A large sum of money along with a quantity of electronics have been stolen from the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) over the last several days and its President Patrick Yarde suspects that this is a targeted effort to undermine the organisation.

The most recent suspected robbery was discovered Monday morning when staff observed a television missing and noticed that attempts were made to break into the accounts department as well as gain access to a safe in the Office of the GPSU President.

Money was withdrawn from the Union’s Bank Account on July 13, 2018 (Friday) was discovered missing the following Monday (July 16, 2018), Yarde told a news conference. He was cautious against disclosing the exact amount but noted that it is less than one million dollars.

He explained that the money was withdrawn to refund members from across the country who were slated to arrive in Georgetown for a meeting of the GPSU’s Executive Council.

A total of two television sets worth have been stolen from the Union’s Shiv Chanderpaul Drive Office. Some important documents are also missing.

Yarde believes this is a “target effort” because of the frequency of the incidents and the areas being penetrated.

“To get to my office, you’ve got to go through three doors and it’s amazing how precise the things people are going for,” Yarde expressed.

Yarde did not say specifically whether he believes it is an “inside job” but he indicated that the culprits are persons with great knowledge of the building and its valuables.