The Guyana Police Force is facing further embarrassment, after a policeman was nabbed shortly after he and two others committed an armed robbery at Unity, Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) on Friday night.
Up to press time last evening the Georgetown-based sergeant, said to be in his mid-twenties was still in police custody along with his brother and another suspect.
A senior police officer in `D’ Division told Stabroek News, “this is a real embarrassment to the force”. He said the other two suspects are 17 and 20 years old. Another officer said it was amazing that the officer decided to leave Georgetown and commit a crime elsewhere but stressed that the disgraced policeman will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.
Police said in a press release yesterday that around 19:30 hrs on Friday, Ryan Kailass and Vijai Sirpaul were on the roadway at Unity when a car without number plates drove up and two men exited. The men who were armed with a handgun (which later turned out to be a toy gun) and a knife held them up and took away two cell phones, a silver chain and $22,000 and drove away. A report was made to the police who responded promptly and intercepted the car along the Parika Access Road. “Two masked men were seen in the back seat of the vehicle along with the driver who was found to be a sergeant of police. The two masked men were placed into the police vehicle and the driver was observed throwing something into the bushes. The object was retrieved by the police patrol ranks and found to be a toy gun,” the release said.
Further, it added that as another policeman was about to enter the car with the intention of escorting the vehicle to the station, the driver drove away. However, he subsequently returned to the station with the vehicle bearing number plate PJJ 1957. He was arrested. The three men are in police custody and the car has been detained.
Investigations are continuing. Meanwhile, a relative of one of the robbery victims yesterday said she was very upset that a policeman – a protector of citizens – was involved in the robbery. The woman said that her relative returned home, which was not far from the scene, and recounted what had transpired. He subsequently reported the matter to the police.