Two police officers found themselves on the wrong side of the court, facing charges of tampering with evidence at a crime scene.
It was alleged that on September 2 at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, Jermaine Charles and Shawn Roberts removed shells from a crime scene.
Charles had pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman on Tuesday, and was granted $200,000 bail.
Roberts, 29, of Lot 117 Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke, appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan yesterday, and in addition to the tampering with evidence charge he was also slapped with four other charges.
It was alleged that Roberts made use of threatening behaviour and assaulted Julian Knights. He reportedly discharged a loaded firearm at Leroy English and caused him to suffer grievous injuries.
When the charges were read to him, Roberts pleaded not guilty. In his application for bail, Roberts’ lawyer, Peter Hugh, said he is a police officer at the Brickdam Police Station, Criminal Investigation Depart-ment (CID).
Hugh stated that his client was never charged before and has no other pending matters before the court.
The lawyer said Roberts is a stellar policeman and has been a serving member of the Guyana Police Force for the past nine years.
There was no objection to bail by Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick but he did ask the court to set bail at a substantial amount because of the seriousness of the offence.
The prosecutor also asked for Roberts’ passport to be lodged and that he must report to the CID office at the Brickdam Police Station every Friday to Deputy Superintendent Kingston, Sergeant Bowman or anyone in charge at the CID.
The magistrate granted $240,000 bail, adhering to the prosecutor’s terms.
The matter will be called again on December 15 at the Providence Magistrates’ Court.