GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC—The Assistant Police Commissioner, Calvin Brutus, and his wife, Adonika Aulder, have been released on bail after they appeared in a magistrate’s court on Thursday on several charges ranging from money laundering, conspiracy to defraud, and theft to misconduct in public office and liability of public officers.
The embattled senior police officer has been charged with 30 financial crimes for transactions totaling GUY$376.2 million (one Guyana dollar = US$0.004 cents), while his wife was charged with two counts of money laundering for allegedly having GUY$243.3 million in the account of her business, South Quata, between December 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024, and GUY$108.6 million in a “Triple ‘A’ Depot business account.
The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said that the monies, in whole or in part, were derived directly or indirectly from the proceeds of crime.
Brutus is facing 240 charges, and after more than two hours before the Acting Chief Magistrate, Faith McGusty, on Thursday, only 30 of the charges had been read to him.
He was granted a total of GUY$ 6.2 million bail on those charges, and the Magistrate indicated that the remaining charges would have to be read to him later.
As part of the bail agreement, the Assistant Police Commissioner will have to lodge his passport and report to SOCU once every month throughout the case. The prosecutors objected to bail, but the Magistrate granted bail on the charges read out on Thursday.
Brutus, dressed in his official uniform, is being represented by a battery of lawyers. The prosecution alleges that he misappropriated large sums of money for his benefit.
A joint charge was laid against Brutus, police sergeant Kevin George, and businessman Ashraf Zafarally. The second charge was against Brutus and the 74-year-old businessman, who was granted GUY$500,000 bail.
The other co-accused were also granted GY$500,000 bail on each charge. They all have to lodge their passports and report to the SOCU monthly.
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