Two lawmen were on Friday morning charged with engaging in a corrupt transaction after they allegedly received a bribe of $400,000 last weekend to drop a charge against a Corentyne man.
Constable Marlon Khadoo, 25, of Ulverston Village, Corentyne, and Sergeant Ramesh Chaitram, 23, of Bush Lot Village, Corentyne, appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Albion Magistrate’s Court.
It is alleged that the two lawmen on Sunday, September 11, at the Rose Hall Town Police Outpost, being agents of the Government of Guyana, corruptly obtained from Gomattie Mattadin $400,000 for themselves, as inducement for not charging Jamal Hussain.
Khadoo was represented by attorney Tuana Hardy, while Chaitram was represented by attorney Chandra Sohan.
Both men pleaded not guilty to the charge and were placed on $100,000 bail each.
They will return to court on October 18.
Stabroek News previously reported that the police allegedly received the money to free Hussain of a charge of possession of an illegal firearm.
The Guyana Police Force in a statement had explained, that on Sunday evening a security guard was on duty at the food court located in Albion, Corentyne, “when he heard loud noise coming from persons who were gathered on the lower flat of the food court along with shouts that someone [had] a firearm.”
According to the report, the security guard, who was armed with a 9mm pistol, subsequently ran downstairs and discharged a “warning round in the air, which caused the crowd to disperse.”
It was then noticed that a male, identified to be Hussain, who was in the crowd, dropped something and ran away. “The security guard then went to see what the male had dropped, only to discover that it was a pistol with two rounds,” the report noted.
Hours after the incident, a 32-year-old unemployed female who resides at Block 4 Tain, Corentyne and a 20-year-old male of Persaud Street, Coren-tyne, Berbice were questioned. “The female said she was at the Food Court when she and a male had an argument and scuffle. The male reportedly pulled out a handgun from his pocket and she raised an alarm and ran.
“The 20-year-old male who was interviewed by the Police said he also saw when the suspect pulled out the gun from his pocket, and he ran because he was scared. The suspect was subsequently arrested by the Police and placed into custody at the Rose Hall Police Outpost but was later ‘sent away’ by a police constable”, the police’s report had added.
Stabroek News was told that the man was sent away after his relative allegedly handed over the sum of cash to the lawmen.
Commander of Region Six Senior Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus had noted that initially three lawmen were placed under close arrest. However, evidence unearthed during an investigation led to the police seeking advice to charge the two now before the court.
Meanwhile, the man who was initially arrested and then released from custody was rearrested following the investigation.
On Thursday he appeared at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh, where he was charged with possession of a firearm while not being the holder of a firearm licence. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded to prison. He will return to the Albion Magistrate’s Court on September 27 for report.
