Businessman Larry Singh is being sued by the State for failing to deliver weapons and ammunition, valuing over $369 million to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), despite being paid.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall filed the lawsuit in the High Court on Wednesday, in which he claimed that Singh received $380,527,421 from the GDF in three contracts dated March 30, 2016, November 18, 2015, and December 15, 2014.
However, it is alleged that Singh only supplied items valuing $10,923,150 and several efforts by GDF to get a refund, proved futile. Singh –a supplier and dealer in weapons and ammunition –was sole sourced on all three occasions.
Under the first contract, the GDF sought to procure 500 x 10 Gauge blank cartridge, 50 x Taurus 9mm pistol, 500 x AK-47 Rifles, 200,000x 7.62 x 41 ball and 50,000 x 9 mm but the items supplied were 500 x ten-gauge blank cartridge and 200 x twelve-gauge blank cartridge.
In the second contract, the GDF ordered 50 x 9mm Glock pistol, 500 AK-47 rifles, 200,000 x ball ammo, 50,000 9mm ammo and 32,100 9mm ball STD but only 50 x 9mm Glock pistols were received.
The third contract was awarded for the supply of 100 AK-47 but none was delivered.
According to court documents, Singh was responsible for the shipment of the weapons and the items were supposed to be supplied within 150 days after the Bill of Laden was provided.
“In breach of the aforesaid conditions and warranties contained in the said contracts, the Respondent has failed or refused to supply the number of weapons and ammunition for which he has received payment and he is indebted to the Guyana Defence Force,” the court documents state.
In the circumstances, he is indebted $369,604,271 to the GDF. An affidavit in support of the court action is included from Chief of Staff (ag), Brigadier Godfrey Bess.
