Assistant Superintendent of Police Kurt Smith, who has already been interdicted and remains under investigation involving corruption at the Police Force’s Finance Office, has once again found himself in hot water.
This time around, he is being charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) with six counts of misconduct in public office, all in relation to the unlawful signing of contracts on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the repairs of several police buildings.
Smith, who was the officer-in-charge of the Force’s Finance Department, appeared today at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Delon Bess where he was not required to plea to six indictable charges and was placed on $100,000 bail each. Smith was previously charged for similar cases of alleged misconduct by SOCU.
The incident in question was officially reported to SOCU by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and an investigation was conducted. The investigation discovered that during the month of December to February 2022, there were six contracts awarded to various contractors to do repair works on several police buildings amounting to the sum of $ 9,717,525.
Contracts were prepared and sent to the accused for verification and for onward transmission to the Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Home Affairs for her signature, however, the accused reportedly took it upon himself to sign for the PS in the slot allotted for the accounting officer.
The Permanent Secretary was contacted and she clearly stated she never delegated her responsibility to the Finance Officer.
Further investigations were done and it was advised that the accused be charged with misconduct in public office, contrary to common law.
