Magistrate Tejnarine Ramroop discontinued an unlawful possession charge against a police officer when he appeared before him at the Blairmont Court on Monday.
It was alleged that between October 3 and 4, 2007 at Number 11 Village, West Coast Berbice, Rasheed Yussuf had in his possession one silver BMX pedal cycle reasonably suspected to be stolen or unlawfully obtained.
Yussuf who was attached to the Fort Wellington Police Station was originally charged with stealing the bicycle which was valued at $6,000.
His lawyer Joel Edmond objected to the charge and said his client was contemplating legal action, as “there was no issue of a missing bicycle.”
The magistrate discontinued both matters after receiving instructions from Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant Donna Grant-Fraser had said that she was advised to put down the matter regarding the stealing indefinitely and that a new charge would have to be read for unlawful possession.
Yussuf first appeared before Magistrate Geeta Chandan on December 3 and was freed on his own recognizance after Police Prosecutor Sergeant Satrohan Dayaram did not object to bail.
Edmond had told the court, “it is an interesting phenomenon that my client was arrested for some money – $200,000 that was missing and a gun.” He said the man’s wife was arrested along with him and he was surprised to hear that “all he was charged for is a bicycle.”
He then questioned whether any other charges were forthcoming, but the prosecutor denied this.
The defence counsel said that police were forced to come up with another charge of unlawful possession. Edmond who had objected to the new charge said also he understood that the said sum was repaid by another officer and the gun was found at Eve Leary.
On Monday, he submitted that his client “has suffered irreparable damage to his character and integrity…”
Edmond also informed the court that the withdrawal of the charges confirmed all of his earlier submissions that “the police fabricated the charges as a camouflage for the wrongful arrests of Yussuf and his wife.”
The lawyer said too that his client “is a family man and the sole breadwinner but he was only receiving half-month salary when he was interdicted. His mere attendance to court was a form of punishment…”
