Doubts deepen over Region Four contracts scandal

DOUBTS have deepened about the manner in which two men with similar first names, Kurt,
and initials – K.B – secured contracts in the last five years from the Regional Democratic Council
(RDC) in the most populated of the 10 Administrative Regions.
Kurt Brahz and Kurt Britton were hired apparently through competitive bidding for weeding
public sector school compounds and maintaining the RDC computer systems respectively,
knowledgeable sources have said.
The Irfaan Ali administration has launched a probe in spending by the Demerara/Mahaica
(Region Four) after several contractors complained about predatory practices by some named
officials employed by the Region Four RDC.
Procurement Officer, Mr. Corwin Grandison is the sole RDC employee who so far has been sent
home to help facilitate ongoing investigations into spending by the Region Four Education and
Health departments.

Brahz, a school teacher, and his wife a Patient Care Assistant (PCA) it was claimed received
several weeding contracts from through Grandison’s Procurement Department. It was further
alleged that Brahz used the names of several persons as decoys to help avoid detection.
“This was a man who was a teacher but was securing tons of weeding contracts and when
persons began looking much closely at what was happening, they brought a few guys as
subcontractors with few of them realizing that they were part of a scheme,” a source said.
The source noted that suspicions were intensified when the public sector employee owned a
high-end car earning a teacher’s salary and not taking a loan.
Brahz is proprietor of a firm which operates under the business name ‘Precision’.

In the case of Britton, he secured multiple contracts for weeding and a computer consultant to
Region Four. Britton was first employed to source computers solely for the region.
The Region paid Britton on a monthly basis for his services.
“People are not fools and many people are angry to see how the Region’s monies were lavishly
enjoyed by a few. These people should be criminally charged for these acts as an example has to
be made with them for abusing the system in such an inhumane way,” the source complained.
The source continued: “These guys were taking home hundreds of thousands of dollars every
month and obviously they wouldn’t leave their friend (Grandison) out as he ensured that they
secured these contracts as they were personal friends,” the source surmised.
Said the confidant, “These guys can happily say that they enjoyed the good life under the
APNU/AFC as their friends in the region ensured that their pockets were filled. The Procurement
Officer ensured that whoever he wanted to secure certain contracts that it was done and the REO
in our view allowed him the space and confidence to operate” unrestrained.
“Unfortunately, you can’t expect cat to watch milk without them touching it and this is
exactly what happened,” the source said.