Two police constables who allegedly transported a vehicle from Lethem to George-town using fake licence plates were remanded to prison yesterday by acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson when they appeared before her charged with fraudulent imitation of identification.
Darrel Archer and Rockwell Scarder were charged jointly with another man, Donald Franklyn, who is yet to be arrested.
They were not required to plead to the charge which alleges that on December 14, 2009 in Rupununi, they fraudulently used identification numbers PKK 7432 and PKK 1782 on a Chevrolet Corsa.
The duo was represented by attorney Adrian Thompson. Archer, 31, resides at 168 Dacama Circle, Linden while Scarder, 22, resides at 41 Bagotsville, West Bank Demerara. The officers are still active members of the police force and are stationed in Lethem.
Thompson said the vehicle was parked in the yard of the late government minister Dr Desrey Fox and Franklyn was the driver of the motor car. He said his clients were in the course of doing their work and were charged because they were passengers in the vehicle.
Further the attorney said the charge against the two men leads one to believe that they were responsible for changing the licence plates on the vehicle when they were really just passengers in the said vehicle. He asked for the men to be granted reasonable bail or be released on their own recognizance since they would appear in court to defend themselves.
Thompson also pointed to the length of time it took for the charge to be laid and said that it was merely a traffic matter, and he did not understand why it was indictable.
However Prosecutor Stephen Telford said that on the day in question Franklyn and the two officers decided among themselves to bring the vehicle to Georgetown from Lethem. He added that the vehicle bore two number plates and was driven to Georgetown, passing several check-points along the way. Based on information received, it was later retrieved by the Guyana Revenue Authority from the minister’s house. A report was made and based on advice from the DPP, the officers were charged.
The prosecutor said that he had no objection to bail. Nevertheless bail was refused and the matter transferred to Lethem Magistrate’s Court for September 7.
On December 16, two vehicles were seized from the Campbellville home of former minister Dr Desrey Fox. The two vehicles, a silver Toyota Hilux and a white Chevrolet Corsa, were said to have been brought from Brazil to Georgetown via the Georgetown/Lethem road. The Chevrolet was allegedly brought to the city using the number plates of a vehicle belonging to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.