Larry Singh, the businessman who rose to fame for being at the center of the “Sussex Street drug bond controversy”, is now being sued by the Guyana Government for failing to deliver over $300 million worth of guns and ammunition to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
According to the fixed date application by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Singh is being sued over a $369.6 million balance on a weapons contract.
The businessman’s company, Larry Singh Firearm and Ammunition Dealer, was sole-sourced by the National Procurement and Tender board between 2014 and 2016 to supply guns and ammunition to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
The items ordered include hundreds of AK-47 rifles, pistols and various types of ammunitions.
A total sum of $380.5 million was made as a down-payment.
According to the notice of application, Singh only supplied $10.9 million worth of items. The legal documents indicate that repeated demands for a re-fund have also proved futile. The notice of claim provides a breakdown of the contracts, items and sums paid.
The Attorney General is contending that Singh still owes the GDF $369.6 million. He is seeking the full sum of money owed, plus interests, cost and whatever other amounts the court deems appropriate, from the businessman whose firearm dealership is based in Florida.
This publication understands that a date for the case is likely to soon be set.
Singh came to prominence back in 2016, when it was revealed during consideration of Financial Papers, that the former government was renting a bond from him for $12.5 million per month for the storage of drugs and medical supplies.
It was also discovered that $25 million was initially spent as a security deposit, in addition to $12.5 million, representing monthly rentals from August to December 2016.
By the time the then government exited the arrangement in 2018, over $300 million had already been paid over to the businessman.
