Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Tillman Thomas is expected to call on newly installed Commissioner of Police, James Clarkson to probe into alleged corrupt activities within the force.
GRENADA TODAY has made available to the Prime Minister, the copy of a confidential document that it obtained pointing to serious and illegal insider trading involving thousands of dollars of State funds within the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF).
The report was prepared by a former member of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) who was assigned the task by then Commissioner of Police, Winston James. It implicated a high-ranking police officer who received a large payment from a junior officer who was under investigation.
The matter was not sent to the high court for criminal prosecution based on a deal struck with the officer and officials of the Ministry of Finance during the reign of ex-Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell.
As a public service, this newspaper reproduces an edited copy of the report that was prepared by investigating officer, Inspector Senneth Joseph then a Sergeant of Police who is now attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the force:
To: Director Financial Intelligence Unit
From: D/Sgt. 618 Senneth Martin Joseph
Date: August 18, 2005
Subject: Investigations surrounding Global Office Supplies
Sir,
This report is to inform you of the results of investigations which I was (asked) to conduct into the operations of Global Office Supplies, a registered business under the registration of business names Act Chapter 281.
On February 28, 2005, I was asked by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Winston James to conduct an investigation into the above mentioned company based on a copy of a fax which was received at the Police Headquarters addressed to Eslyn Lewis, a woman Police Constable.
This fax came from a company in Trinidad named Crown Industries Limited, the company to which Global Office Supplies (was) conducting business with.
To assist me with my investigation I was given a copy of that fax and a copy of a report sent by the W/PC to the Commissioner of Police.
The said day I commenced my investigations and went to the Supreme Court Registry and conducted a search where I obtained a copy of the documents for the registration of Global Office Supplies (GOS).
From documents obtained GOS was registered on February 27, 2004.
* Name of Business: Global Office Supplies
* Nature of Business: Selling Stationery
* Place of Business: Tempe, St. George
* Owner of Business: Eslyn Jamilla Lewis
* Occupation of Owner: Police Officer
* Commencement Date of Business: February 27, 2004
After obtaining this information I went to the Accountant General's office where I made a request for copies of all payment vouchers and cheques made payable to GOS, which I was able to obtained.
From the documents obtained, it was observed that GOS received from the Government of Grenada since it commenced business to December, 2004 the amount of $156,749.40.
These payments were as a result of stationery supplied to the Royal Grenada Police Force, the company's sole customer.
Upon close scrutiny of the payment vouchers for GOS, accompanying each was an invoice from GOS to the RGPF for supplies of stationeries.
I then set out to obtain from the Customs Department all Caricom invoices showing where GOS brought in Stationery for the RGPF. I was able to obtain a considerable amount of the Caricom Invoices.
However, upon examination of the documents I realised that the company was granted duty free concession by the affixing of a signature of a senior officer of the RGPF on the Caricom documents.
It was also observed that in comparing the invoice sent to the RGPF for payment and the invoice presented to the Customs as to the cost that the stationeries was purchased for in Trinidad, that the invoices to the Police for payment by GOS was overstated in some cases by over 150%.
I then looked at the Act governing the sale of stationery SUPPLIES CONTROL (PRICES) REGULATIONS Chapter 314 of Volumes Vii and X and saw that stationary was a price controlled item which cannot be sold for a mark up more than 33.3 %.
In doing so I set out with the assistance of Mr. Derrick Romain, a Price Control Officer within the Ministry of Finance to do a costing for each item that was sold to the RGPF by GOS using the F.O.B on the Caricom Invoice.
My Preliminary assessment indicates that GOS was in breach of the Act and obtained excessive funds from the Government totaling over $51,000.00 ECC. Ms. Lewis has since resigned from the RGPF.
During my investigation a number of persons were interviewed including Eslyn Lewis and Kenroy Charles and it was realised that the officer Eslyn Lewis received the necessary permission to conduct business.
She (was) representing GOS, preparing and submitting invoices to the RGPF, she is the one receiving it and preparing the vouchers for payment and the one ordering and receiving the stationeries. Miss Lewis was rather reluctant to answer questions asked of her based as she said on advice of her Lawyer.
Kenroy Charles was the person accompanying Ms. Lewis with the Police transport to pick up the goods from the Pier and transporting it to the Police Headquarters and a store room at Melville Street Saint George's.
In examining the book maintained by Charles to record the receipt of stationeries it was seen that a"haphazard" approach was used as the book sometimes was hardly used and did not have a true reflection of the receipt of goods by the RGPF.
Based on what Charles said in his interview conducted with him on the 11th April, 2005, it was seen that he was given too much power as a junior officer that a senior officer above his rank should have.
This is said against the backdrop that he determined when he want(ed) stationery, how much he needs and so on without any checks and balance by someone senior.
It is my belief that Charles coerced with Ms. Lewis in the functioning of her business. He had been signing vouchers for goods received which was never received causing the Treasury to make payments to Global Office Supplies.
In some cases after payment is made the goods (are) received about three months after. On the question of him receiving any monies from Eslyn from her company he said no. He admits borrowing money from her with a balance of about $700.00 remaining. This I do not believe though there are no financial document(s) available to dispute such a claim.
Officer Charles neglect(ed) to carry out his duties at headquarters and made false statements and entries on the LPO (vouchers) and in the stationery receipt book.
With this being the case, sections 33(k) and 33(v) of the Police Act Chapter 244 of Volume VI had been breached.
Recommendation: It is my recommendation that the officer be disciplined for the breach mentioned.
On March 24, 2005, I received a copy of a letter from the Law office of George E. D. Clyne dated March 21, 2005 addressed to the Commissioner of Police sent on the behalf of Eslyn Lewis, Police Officer seeking payment for goods received by the RGPF in the sum of $31,221.27.
I then gave instructions by advising the relevant authority to ignore the letter unless the invoice for that payment is not corrected to reflect the 33.3%.
This does not mean that the Force did not owe the company but that the company's wholesale/retail price to the RGPF was contrary to Law. Through an agreement reached by Ms. Lewis and the Ministry of Finance in order to avoid prosecution, Global Office Supplies decided to repay to the Government of Grenada the amount of $35,736.87 which was paid on July 1 & 5 respectfully [sic] to the Government Treasury.
This payment was less the amount owing by the RGPF to Global Office Supplies calculated at the 33.3% rate.
This means that the overall overstated price by GOS to the RGPF was $58,079.24 and the final price that the RGPF owed to Global was $22,342.37.
In the continuance of my investigations, request was made to the Financial Institutions in order to obtain records from the Account of Global Office Supplies and all accounts held in the name of Eslyn Lewis.
From examination of the statement, it was my intention to discover if Eslyn Lewis was acting in concert with any other person(s) in the RGPF and to see whether anyone in the force was receiving monies from the company account.
Rightfully so, there was a cheque payment in the amount of $7,000.00 ECC that was made by Ms. Lewis to Superintendent Franklyn Redhead of Woodlands, Saint George; Re cheque # 52654.
This cheque was cashed by Supt. Redhead at the NCB branch in Grand Anse on November 1, 2004 where he received 70 X $100 bills.
This cash was in turn deposited the same day to his other account at First Caribbean Bank, Church Street Saint George's.
I examined records from the account of Supt Redhead both held at two financial institutions and these accounts are joint accounts with his wife Susan Redhead formerly Roberts.
On August 18 2005, I conducted an interview with Supt Franklyn Redhead at the Financial Intelligence Unit in the presence and hearing of Inspector Pierre.
The purpose of the interview (was) to determine the reason for him benefiting from the funds issued to him from GOS, a company that was fleecing wittingly, funds from the Government of Grenada.
Supt. Redhead has been a member of the Royal Grenada Police Force for more than twenty-one (21) years and is presently attached to Police Headquarters, Fort George as the Project Officer and Human Resource Co ordinator.
He stated that he knew Eslyn Lewis and they were very close friends and he also knew that she was engaged in a business, named Global Office Supplies as she would have told him of the business operations.
He admits receiving two cheques totaling $14,000.00 (7,000.00 each) from Eslyn Lewis which he claimed was as a result of a loan repayment made to her sometime in 2003-2004.
What is rather strange though, is the fact that Supt. Redhead, a senior police officer, erred significantly on the following.
*There was no agreement written or verbal between the Supt and Ms. Lewis as to payment arrangements;
* The Supt was rather evasive in his response to pertinent questions asked;
* He loaned monies from his joint account with his wife and as he said from other sources and gave to the Constable but he does not know how much he had loaned her. This is strange.
* He knows that he received $14,000.00 already from her but the balance owing he is not aware of the amount.
* It also came out in the interview that the Supt. is engage in business activities in the ordering and reselling of computers to people including Eslyn Lewis
Based on the relationship that existed between the Supt. and the Constable, the borrowing and lending of monies and transacting of business, I could only conclude that Superintendent Redhead breached section seven (7) of the Police Act, Chapter 244 of Volume IX which states and I quote:-
³No member of the Force shall contract a debt which he is unable to discharge. No senior officer shall borrow money from anyone below him in rank nor traffic with him. No member of the Force shall lend money to a senior."
Recommendation:
It is my recommendation that Superintendent Franklyn Redhead was improvident and not impeccant from what he has done.
The regulations have been breached and hence some form of disciplinary action(s) should be taken against him.
This report of my findings is submitted for your information and necessary action.
