Court awaiting contract for new Bridge Bridge feasibility study
Patterson, Adams fraud case…
Kaieteur News – As the fraud case against Former Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and Former Demerara Harbor Bridge Corporation (DHBC) General Manager Rawlston Adams continues, the court is awaiting the contract the company was awarded to carry out the feasibility study to build a new Demerara Harbor Bridge.
Former Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson.
Yesterday the matter was called in Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly. Patterson and Adams were absent from yesterday’s hearing. However, one of Patterson’s lawyers, Ronald Burch-Smith, was present in court while Adams’ lawyer, Glenn Hanoman, appeared more or less.
The police prosecutor informed the court that the State was still awaiting the contract in relation to the case. That contract is the one awarded to a Dutch company, LievenseCSO, to carry out a feasibility study and design for a new Demerara Harbor Bridge between Houston, Demerara East Bank, and Versailles, West Bank Demerara.
Senior Magistrate Leron Daly then adjourned the matter until May 3, 2021, at which date the case is expected to begin. Kaieteur News had reported that Patterson and Adams had been charged with defrauding the State of over $ 160M.
At the first court appearance of Patterson and Adams, they were not required to plead to the charge since it appeared to be laid. Both were also placed on $ 200,000 bail each.
Former General Manager of Demerara Harbor Bridge Corporation (DHBC), Rawlston Adams.
However, at another hearing on the matter, the prosecutor had asked for the charge to be laid briefly, so that the matter could be tried in the Magistrates’ Court, rather than a preliminary investigation (PI) being held. before the matter. either sent to the High Court or dismissed. On February 15, 2021, the charge was summarily amended and laid and Patterson and Adams were required to submit a plea after the charge was re-read to them.
Both men pleaded not guilty to the charge, and noted that they conspired with each other and with other persons anonymously between November 18, 2016 and February 1, 2018, to defraud DHBC of $ 162,635,015, Plant Account funds Asphalt DHBC. .
The fraud charge against the duo was brought by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), a branch of Guyana Police Force (GPF). There is an ongoing search by SOCU regarding Patterson’s role in sourcing the Dutch company chosen to carry out the feasibility study.
Following the announcement of the contract in 2017, the then Opposition, the People / Civic Progressive Party (PPP / C), had called for a thorough investigation by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) to award the contract to The Dutch company, which later triggered an investigation by SOCU.
The PPC found in its investigation that Patterson’s application to Cabinet for approval of the contract had not been forwarded through the National Tender Procurement and Administration Board (NPTAB). As a result, the PPC had requested that the tender be reinstated. NPTAB had approved the retendering of the project, but it had not.
The PPP / C was adamant that evading the procurement was unlawful, but SOCU later stated that it had sought legal advice, and that there is no evidence that a crime had been committed.
Earlier this year, SOCU reopened the case and Patterson and Adams were later called for questioning by SOCU and the charge later established.