Around $3.1M of the $14M stolen in the Old Age Pension scam has been repaid by six of the fourteen reinstated postal workers who admitted playing a part in the fraud.

And a deadline for the repayment of money stolen by the other eight employees has been fixed by the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC).

The remainder of the $14M was purloined by the masterminds of the fraud who are yet to be prosecuted. The fourteen reinstated postal workers admitted being involved in the multi-million dollar scam and earlier this year offered to repay the money. In some instances they paid back the sums stolen in full. They were all put on six months probation by the post office.

During this period their attitude and conduct would be carefully monitored by their supervisors who are expected to file a report.

Speaking to this newspaper yesterday, Postmaster General Noel Phillips said most of the 14 officers were at the level of postmasters and there were also a few clerks. They have now been demoted but this newspaper was unable to ascertain what positions they were now holding.

Contacted yesterday, Human Services and Social Security Minister Bibi Shadick said she could not tell the Post Office how to run its affairs but would suggest that those officers who were reinstated should stay away from Old Age Pension funds. The Minister told this newspaper that she was happy that persons actually offered to repay the money, but cautioned that once that was done the money must be repaid to the agency from which it was stolen.

Stabroek News understands that the GPOC had requested from the ministry permission to keep the repaid funds, but this request was rejected. Reports reaching this newspaper state that the ministry made it clear to the GPOC that the money must be paid into the Consolidated Fund and has since written a letter to the corporation on the issue.

The GPOC dismissed 13 postal officials and reinstated 14 others who were ensnared in the $14M scam, which involved the printing and cashing of fake Old Age Pension vouchers by a network of officers from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the GPOC.

The GPOC also confirmed that the officers were back on the job since May as this newspaper had reported earlier. No announcement had been made in May by the Post Office about this. Phillips mentioned too that some of the officers had made full restitution even before they were reinstated.

Asked why the corporation allowed the officers to repay the money and reinstated them, Phillips said, “It was not just a matter of repaying the money and getting back the job there have been sanctions which were imposed on them.”

Besides, Phillips said had it not been for the reinstated officers the GPOC would not have been able to conclude its investigations.

According to him, the officers were forthright with the investigating team which he headed, noting that they led them through the probe, describing to them the systems which were employed to steal the money.

Phillips argued that out of the investigations which began since August last year flaws in the system were detected. He said with those findings they have since put in place mechanisms to ensure that there is no recurrence.

A report on the GPOC’s internal findings was sent to the Commissioner of Police. Public Relations Officer of the Police Force, Assistant Superintendent David Ramnarine had told this newspaper that the police had not completed its probe and as such both the reinstated and dismissed officers were part of the police’s ongoing investigations.

The fraud was detected in August last year when members of the Berbice Fraud Squad discovered a quantity of forged coupons in a house in New Amsterdam. A preliminary report from the Auditor General’s Department revealed that the forged coupons had phony names and identification numbers and were cashed at fifteen post offices countrywide. The $14M was stolen between January-October 2002.

A source close to the police told this newspaper yesterday that the police were now awaiting the completion of its investigation and the Auditor General’s final report before deciding on action. In the meantime, the 13 dismissed staffers along with the 14 who were reinstated and the three dismissed Human Services Ministry employees are all required to report to the Criminal Investigation Department, Eve Leary on a daily basis. Stabroek News also understands that some of the officers’ passports and other travel documents were seized pending the outcome of the matter.