Assistant Postmaster General, Mr. Leon Dickson, in a press release said that from information received, the Police in New Amsterdam on September 11, last searched the residence of a former Postmaster and found valid blank books of Old Age Pension vouchers as well as counterfeit vouchers.

"Subsequent investigation by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security revealed large numbers of counterfeit vouchers had been cashed at 15 post offices across the country", he said.

A detailed criminal investigation has been launched by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police Force with assistance from Junior Managers of the GPOC, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Auditor General's Office, he reported.

Dickson said that based on initial findings, 23 employees, including Post masters and clerks who are responsible for processing pension payments at the identified post offices, have been interdicted from duty for the duration of the investigation.

Minister determined to uncover Old Age Pension Books irregularities
MINISTER within the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Bibi Shadick says she is determined to unearth all the discrepancies which exist regarding the distribution of Old Age Pension Books.

In an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), the minister said investigations have intensified and letters have already been sent out to 15 persons, including former Postmasters and counter clerks of the postal service in Guyana, who are suspected of being involved in the alleged scam. (See other story on page two).

She said a member of the Fraud Squad of Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) had approached her ministry and informed officials there that his team had uncovered about 31 Old Age Pension books and a quantity of coupons from a house occupied by a former Postmaster.

She said there has been no sign of the man, although the house is now under surveillance.

The ministry had printed a total of 40,000 pension books, but because the lists from social workers in the regions had not been submitted with the names of pensioners currently receiving pension, it had no way of accounting for all the books already distributed, Shadick said.

She explained that social workers in the regions had in their possession new books, which would be given out to pensioners who had been approved by the Board of Guardians to begin receiving pension payments.

"The computerisation of the ministry's system has not met its completion deadline due to the negligence of those who are responsible for doing the job.

"We had a deadline of April 30 and up to September 30, we still have not been able to acquire a complete list of current pensioners in the country," the minister said.

She said that she had been personally involved in the investigations after she had confirmed that there were officials within the ministry's system who were allegedly involved.

"This is a grave situation but when I became minister, one of my objectives was to better the system and that is what I will do.

"If there are persons who are involved in this scam, then they will have to be removed from the system. Let the pensioners receive their dues."

Meanwhile, evaluations have begun regarding the printing of new pension books for next year.

According to Minister Shadick, those books have to be printed even though investigations are continuing.

"The pensioners still have to receive their money, so the books must be printed simultaneously with investigations."

Irregularities were uncovered some time ago, when it was discovered that some pensioners were not receiving their payments, while other names on the list did not exist or were the names of deceased persons.

As a result, new books were printed with additional security features, for pensioners.

Although that system worked, with some hitches, there are still penalties to be dealt to those who are reportedly involved, GINA said.

October 11, 2002