COPS PROBE EMBEZZLEMENT AT PRISON CANTEENS

Commissioner Stewart told Newsday yesterday that he became suspicious after discovering several discrepancies with payments to suppliers.

“I decided to call in the police because I was asking certain questions and was uncomfortable with certain answers I was getting about irregularities,” he said in an interview.

Stewart further confirmed, “There are some irregularities and I called in the police. Only civilians and some officers run the canteen.

The civilians do the books as well, they control the accounts for the canteens.

There are three canteens, all three are in question, the whole canteen system is under question, and we are trying to ascertain where the irregularities stem from and there is to be a comprehensive investigation”. He said the issue was brought to his attention by the direct management of the canteens, a Prisons Superintendent, and this prompted the police investigation.

The Commissioner said he could not give the exact dollar figure involved but sources within the prison system said the amount unaccounted for was over $2 million.

Stewart said it is not certain which of the canteens the discrepancies emerged, and for that reason the books of all three canteens will be audited as part of the investigation.

As Prisons Commissioner, the Prison Sports Club and the three canteens at the Maximum Security Prison and the Golden Grove Prison in Arouca and the Port of Spain Prison were under his purview.

He said civilian staff is responsible for the operations of the canteens and the person entrusted with the accounting was also a civilian.

Prison officers assist in some aspect of the management of the canteens, Newsday was informed.

Stewart also confirmed what sources told Newsday that over a certain period, creditors were not paid and when they began demanding payment, it was brought to the attention of the Superintendent who oversees the canteens who then informed the Commissioner.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ajith Persad, of the Port-of- Spain CID, along with a team of officers, were mandated to carry out the investigation which began last week.

According to Stewart, all civilian staff employed at the three prisons canteen as well as prison officers, who also assist in the canteens, are to be interviewed as part of the ongoing probe.

On Friday, relatives of prisoners who purchase items from the canteens complained of the shortage of important items.

They also complained of the high prices of basic items and called on the Minister of National Security to bring in persons from the Consumer Affairs Division to look into what they called an unfair practice of price gouging.

President of the Prisons Officers Association Ceron Richards said he was not aware of the police investigation but intends to look into the issue.