Less than a day after the Guyana Police Police (GPF) issued a wanted bulletin for them, a Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD) couple wanted for questioning in relation to money laundering and other financial crimes has surrendered.
On Wednesday, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU)—an arm of the GPF tasked with probing financial crimes—issued wanted bulletins for Riaz Ally and Jennifer Maria Ally nee Ramnarine, both of Lot 9 Block “CC” Mon Repos, ECD.
This publication understands that Jennifer’s father Kenneth Killawan Ramnarnie and her brother Damien Ramnarine, all of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD), are together, facing close to 400 money laundering charges, involving over $4B.
The couple is said to be the prosecution’s main witnesses in this matter. Riaz is a businessman while his wife is unemployed.
In the company of their lawyer Bernard Da Silva, Riaz Ally and his wife turned themselves in to SOCU’s Camp Street, Georgetown headquarters on Thursday morning.
Speaking with reporters, Da Silva said he believes that the Police are exploiting the use of wanted bulletins because his clients have been cooperating with investigations.
“What is ironic about the wanted bulletin, is that they are witnesses in another money laundering matter, they are prime witnesses in that matter…surprisingly they are now considered suspects. I have spoken to Mr. Ali and Ms. Ali and they would have indicated to me that they are surprised that SOCU would have issued a wanted bulletin” Da Silva said.
“We all know that a wanted bulletin is issued when a person cannot be found and when efforts by the Police would have failed. This is not the case. This is a case where the Police are in constant contact, especially SOCU, they are in constant contact with these parties because they are prime witnesses. Surprisingly, it was not a summons issued to them, but rather a wanted bulletin, which means that they are now suspects, which also means by extension that they will be prevented from giving evidence in the matter which is connected, I’m assuming unless it is in an independent investigation. They are here to clear their names and they will not be giving any statements.”
Meanwhile, Riaz and his wife have described the Police’s wanted bulletins as “trash”.
“We have been cooperating with SOCU, so I don’t know what is the need for the wanted bulletin; that took me by surprise. They can always pick the phone up [and call us] like they have done numerous times. They have our address,” Jennifer related.
The woman said the wanted bulletins have defamed her and her husband’s character.
Money laundering charges
Earlier this year, Jennifer’s father, brother, and stepmother, Yevette Nalini Saroop were slapped with money laundering charges and despite attempts before Magistrates and a High Court Judge to get bail, they are still all on remand. Da Silva is also representing Kenneth and Damien.
Kenneth and Saroop were arrested at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) while attempting to flee to the United States of America (USA).
SOCU had said its suspicions were primarily honed on the large number of unsubstantiated cash deposits made via Kenneth’s business accounts of Ken’s Trading Enterprise.
The sources of funds, and declarations submitted to several commercial banks, show that most of the deposits are attributed to the proceeds of sales from biodegradable food boxes sold to local businesses, in particular Chinese restaurants, SOCU has disclosed.
According to the unit, a substantial number of wire transfers, amounting to over $3.7 billion, were sent to 22 companies in China under the pretext of importing raw materials to produce biodegradable products, while other sums, totalling over $4.1B, were disguised locally.
Investigators, it has been noted did not find any legitimate source of these funds which the accused persons had wire-transferred out of Guyana, suggesting that they may be operating as nominees for some Chinese businesses, and were also facilitating tax evasion the business.
Investigators at SOCU, including several senior officers, had contacted several prominent businesses in Georgetown during the investigations, which commenced in August 2020, and the businesses and persons the accused persons listed on their source of funding declaration forms have vehemently denied doing such large transactions with them.
As a result, SOCU noted, it conducted several covert and overt investigations and operations over three years, monitoring the family and their lifestyles until enough evidence was collected beyond a reasonable doubt. SOCU is designated with responsibility for ensuring that money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes are fully and thoroughly investigated.
Guyana’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act provides for the establishment and management of a Financial Intelligence Unit; provides for unlawful proceeds of all serious offences to be identified, traced, frozen, seized, and forfeited; provides for comprehensive powers for the prosecution of money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes; provides for the forfeiture of the proceeds of crime and terrorist property; requires reporting entities to take preventative measures to help combat money laundering and terrorist financing; and provides for civil forfeiture of assets and matters connected therewith.
