Soldier being charged for stolen BDF rations

ganney dortch

Last Wednesday we reported that food rations had been stolen from the B.D.F. storage room at Price Barracks in Ladyville.  News Five got confirmation today that the soldier who will be criminally prosecuted did not act alone.  There is word that a Warrant Officer Class two Sergeant Major and a woman Staff Sergeant colluded in the scam.  In respect to allegations that the hustle had been going on for quite a while, B.D.F. Lieutenant Colonel, Ganney Dortch, says not so and that the military has a proper check and balance system in place.  The problem, he said, is that they were breached.

Lt. Col. Ganney Dortch, Chief of Staff, BDF

“We have concrete evidence on one of our soldiers who is being presently dealt with by the police.  He will be charged criminally for the handling of stolen goods in which he sold the items to a grocery store in Ladyville.”

Delahnie Bain

“We’ve heard information that there are two senior officers that were involved in this as well.  Any truth to that?”

Lt. Col. Ganey Dortch

“Well as far as we are concerned our investigations presently is that there was collusion among soldiers, there were malpractices as it relates to the standard operating procedures where they weren’t followed and as a result of that, officers—and when I say officers I’m not talking about senior officers—but officers of the force did not carry out their duties in the right fashion.  So as a result of this we are going to charge them not for the theft of the items, but for not doing their job as stipulated by the standard operating procedures.”

Delahnie Bain

“How did they manage to run this scam?  How did it work?”

Lt. Col. Ganney Dortch

“Apparently one of the persons that was involved understood the routine and as a result of that, that person used that the demise of getting the stuff off the camp.”

Delahnie Bain

“We’ve also heard that other officers that found out were paid off and so on.  Have you found out anything to that effect?”

Lt. Col., Ganney Dortch

“I wouldn’t say they were paid off but I think some people turned a blind eye, some persons that colluded.  We know for a fact that there were non-standard practices which led to the stuff being easily removed from camp but as far as I’m concerned, for people to have been paid off I don’t think that is an accurate statement.”

Delahnie Bain

“At this stage are you able to tell us the person that is being charged?”

Lt. Col. Ganney Dortch

“Not really because our investigation is ongoing. We hope to charge more people and as the investigation unfolds it will put us in a better position to bring those in breach of our standing orders to justice. “

The B.D.F. also lost a high powered weapon, months ago when the officer on duty fell asleep in a private car when he should have been on patrol.