Ex-policeman Shavon Marks, who was accused of aiding in the smuggling of an AK-47 rifle out of the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) compound at Eve Leary, had the charge against him dismissed on Wednesday after a city court found that the prosecution failed to prove its case.
The charge against Marks, who had been a Police Corporal, stated that on February 28th, 2017, at Kingston, Georgetown, without being the holder of a firearm licence he had an AK-47 rifle and 40 7.62×39 live rounds in his possession.
Marks was cleared of the charge by Magistrate Leron Daly at the conclusion of his trial. The magistrate dismissed the case on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove its case against him.
Five members of the Guyana Police Force, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), had been placed under close arrest after it was alleged that they had smuggled the high-powered rifle out of the TSU compound.
Three of them were subsequently allowed to go about their daily lives under open arrest, while the two others, including Marks, remained under close arrest with police supervision.
This newspaper was reliably informed that acting on information received, the police conducted the sting operation and intercepted the car used to smuggle the weapon out of the TSU compound. The car was intercepted at Carmichael Street and during a search, the high-powered rifle was discovered.
The driver was promptly searched and taken into custody. During questioning, he reportedly implicated Marks and the ASP.
Records on the driver’s phone revealed that during the time the car entered and left the TSU compound, several calls were made to Marks.
It is alleged that the ASP colluded with Marks to sell the weapon. The ASP had been transferred to the police force’s mounted branch while an investigation focused on him continued.
