In the past two months we've been hearing a lot about who should be charged for criminal wrongdoing under the Barrow Administration. Well, the name of the first to be charged tonight: and he's not a Minister, a CEO, or a political appointee: it's Senior pay clerk, Ivan Ayuso, who worked at the National Sports Council.
In a report released last year, The Auditor General found that Ayuso had allegedly diverted $416,228 into his personal accounts at three different banks - amounting to a massive and still unrecovered loss to the Sports Council. The report - which covered only one year - found that Ayuso had manipulated the pay sheets to pay himself more than once.
Well, that allegation emerged exactly a year ago, and tonight we can report that Ayuso has been charged for theft, uttering upon a forged document, and money laundering to the tune of one million, ninety thousand, two hundred and twenty-seven dollars and thirteen cents ($1,090,227.13).
He has been arrested and charged, which is not a first for him, since back in 2004, Ayuso - then a cashier - was charged for the arson of the Paslow Building - allegedly to cover up a monetary impropriety. He was acquitted of that charge in 2005.
And while Ayuso will have to answer charges in court, what about others named in the report? Well, The Commissioner of Policy told us that they continue to investigate former Minister of state for Sports Herman Longsworth, who was also named in that report.
