Contractors who shortchanged road construction granted $150k bail

Two men were Monday released on G$150,000 bail for fraudulently obtaining over G$1.1M by inflating the number of truckloads of laterite they delivered for rehabilitation of a stretch of road at Six Miles, Bartica.

Myrvin George, a 44-year-old engineer of Victoria Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara, and Daniel Baker, a 25-year-old driver of Mahaica Park, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The men were not required to enter a plea to the charge, which alleged that between October 31 to December 16, 2021, with intent to defraud, they obtained the sum of G$1,152,000 from Adamantium Holdings by falsely pretending they delivered 64 truckloads of laterite, knowing the same to be false.

According to reports, Adamantium Holdings is a company that was awarded a contract by the government of Guyana to rehabilitate a stretch of road from Six Miles, Bartica, Potaro Road to 19 Miles, Bartica Potaro Road.

George, according to the police facts, is a manager employed by the company, while Baker is a sub-contractor.

The duo was to provide trucking service for the company transporting laterite from Nine Miles, Bartica, to various parts of a stretch of road at a cost of G$18,000 per truckload.

However, the company noticed an anomaly with the number of deliveries made by the duo and reported the matter to the police.

A physical check of the worksite was done by police and Anthony Rigby, a manager of the company responsible for oversight of the project. They observed 87 loads of laterite along the said stretch of road, which, according to Rigby’s record, is incomplete and inaccurate.

The company recorded 233 truckloads of laterite, a difference of 164 truckloads of laterite transported which amounts to G$1,152,000.

The duo was arrested for inflating the number of truckloads of laterite transported.

George handed over G$220,000 to the police stating that the same was received from Baker as payments for reporting more truckloads of laterite than were transported.