Police Constable charged with murder of Brazilian miner

A police constable accused of killing a Brazilian miner was today remanded to prison for murder. The 23-year-old Plaisance resident Robert Daniels was not required to plea to the indictable charge when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. The Brazilian miner was killed in the Puruni District on Saturday in front of his mother.

 

The court was told that Daniels on August 11 alleged murdered 37-year-old Estevao Costa Marques. Daniels was represented by attorney at law Patrice Henry who argued that the deceased had discharged a loaded firearm at his client who then returned fire with his service weapon. The young man was remanded to prison until August 30 and the case transferred to the Bartica Magistrates’ Court.

The post-mortem examination done on the Brazilian miner who was killed by Guyanese Police has revealed that Estevao Costa Marques died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
 The PM was performed by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh this morning. Singh indicated that the bullet entered from the back and exited through the front; he also opined that the deceased was shot from a range of more than five feet away.

 4 years, six months and $38.8M dollar fine for Berbice drug trafficker found guilty of trafficking 158 pounds of compressed marijuana.

The sentence was handed down by City Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court today.
Anthony Carmichael called ” Strongy” of Rosignol, West Coast Berbice was found guilty of the offence and will spend the next four and a half years in prison and was also fined $38.8M for trafficking 158 pounds of compressed marijuana.
 The court heard that the 30-year-old on April 16, 2018, at Royal Castle Restaurant, Sheriff Street, had 72.008 kilograms of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.
CANU ranks found motorcar PKK 1609 with wrapped packages of marijuana in the back seat and trunk of the car. By this time, the driver had already fled the scene before the drug enforcement officers arrived.
During the trial, a CANU officer testified that Carmichael had confessed to the allegation. He added that  Carmichael admitted to having a lookout man, who told him that two pickup vans were following him. The CANU rank added that the accused further related to him that he was told to park his car at Royal Castle and leave it. The man then took a taxi and went back to Berbice.
A friend of Carmichael also took the stand and he told the court that the accused had called him and told him that he had marijuana coming from the Berbice River to bring out. The man posited that he did not traffic the drugs. He said it was Carmichael who did that and he (Carmichael)) was also the person behind the wheel on the day in question.
Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit prosecutor (CANU).Kunyo Sandiford, prosecuted the case.

Third Police Officer charged in learner driver exam fraud

Police Sergeant Alfred Park, was today slapped with 13 charges of forging several questionnaires in the Learner Driver Theoretical Examination.

The 50-year-old Park appeared before City Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The court was told that on April 12 at the Felix Austin Police College, Georgetown, he conspired with persons to forge 13 questionnaires at the Theoretical examination, which were not written by persons who were seated in the examination room. Park was released on $1.2M bail and the matter is adjourned until August 27. The man was represented by attorney-at-law Patrice Henry. He is the third person to be charged with the same offense. A few weeks ago, his colleagues, Corporal Ryan Gray, 25, and Woman Corporal Shanice Fraser, 31, the Confidential Secretary to the Traffic Chief, appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan and were charged in connection to the same allegations.

 

Gray was hit with 20 counts of forgery and was released $160,000 bail while Fraser was charged with 18 counts and was released on $150,000 bail.

The Police in April said the Office of Professional Responsibility was called in to investigate seemingly massive irregularities in the Guyana Police Force learner driver’s theoretical examination which took place on Thursday, April 12, 2018, at the Felix Austin Police College, Georgetown.

One hundred and seventy-four (174) persons were registered to write the examination, but only one hundred and six (106) persons presented themselves on the day in question. However, two hundred and seven (207) scripts were received at the conclusion of the examination and one hundred and fifty-five (155) of the two hundred and seven (207) scripts were completed. This was discovered by a Senior Pastor who is the Guyana Police Force’s Chaplain to the Commissioner of Police (ag.) David Ramnarine.

Two Ukrainian Nationals to appear in court tomorrow for assaulting Guyanese miners

The Guyana Police Force said that the base on legal advice the two Ukrainian nationals accused of assaulting Guyanese miners will face the courts tomorrow.

One of the men Vitaly Paraschuck, 38 will be charged with threatening behavior and assault causing actual bodily harm committed on Charles Clarke while Maksym Furtak, 33 will be charged with threatening behavior committed on Rudolph Deane.

However, Clarke and the Ukrainians will be charged for contravention of the Private Security Services Act of 2009 for failure to wear their prescribed uniforms. The three men will appear in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The incident occurred between July 28th and August 3rd at Quart Stone in Cuyuni. region 7.

The miner was going to check on the claims owned by businessman Shawn Hopkinson who is one of Guyana’s large-scale miner. Hopkinson has several claims in the area.

First, the man was asked to produce his documentation to show why he was in that area, which he did. The entire incident was captured on tape. This first piece of the video recording showed the security questioning the miner after which he was denied access.

The miner was insistent that he was in no breach of any mining laws so he decided to carry on when things got physical.

The man was punched by one of two Ukrainian security who was armed with handguns.

Two Police officers in custody following the alleged murder of a Brazilian National. 

The Police say a Subordinate Officer and a Constable were arrested following a report of the alleged murder of a Brazilian national. The Brazilian miner was killed in the Puruni District yesterday.
According to the Police, initial enquiries revealed that the Subordinate Officer and the Constable who are both stationed at the Kurupung Police Station abandoned the said Station sometime on Friday morning. The ranks reportedly left on an ATV for patrol duties, armed with a .30mm Carbine Rifle and subsequently joined a boat and proceeded to a Landing along the Puruni River.
The Police release added that upon arrival at the Landing, sometime around midday on Saturday, the Subordinate Officer claimed that he remained in the boat while the Constable armed with the rifle, exited and proceeded to a shop and shortly after two loud explosions were heard which caused him (the Subordinate Officer)to proceed to make enquiries.
The Subordinate Officer also stated that the Constable told him that a male fired a gunshot at him and he returned fire.
The body of a male Brazilian national was seen lying on the ground a short distance away; he was picked up, placed in a boat and taken to the main Landing.
It was at this very time that another Subordinate Officer and a Detective Constable from the Bartica Police Station who were on duty in the said area investigating a report of alleged threats, arrived at the scene and took possession of the firearm which was in the Constable’s possession and alerted the Divisional Commander.
A Gazetted Officer and a team of Detectives were dispatched to the location yesterday evening to investigate the incident.
Arrangements have been made for another Subordinate Officer and three Constables to be dispatched to the Kurupung Police Station and this process will be completed by this evening.

Three dead in smash up at La Grange, one critical

Dead are 33yr. old Jonar Devon a contractor of 22 Nismes, WBD,  25yr. old Devindra Hardyal a promoter of 30 Public Road, La Grange and 20yr. old Rishi Pasha of lot 3 La Grange, WBD.  22yr. old David Bourne of Goed Fortuin, WBD is said to be in a critical condition.
 According to a Police report, the driver of motor car PDD 7182 reportedly slammed into the rear of a parked Lorry about 04:20h this morning on the La Grange Public Road, West Bank Demerara.
The police say their enquiries disclosed that the quartet were at a party in Stanleytown, WBD and were heading to Goed Fortuin to drop off David Bourne when tragedy struck as the driver of the vehicle which was proceeding north along the western carriageway, reportedly at a fast rate of speed, lost control and collided with the Lorry which was properly parked on the parapet of the western side of the road; as a result of the impact, the Lorry was shifted from its location.
Devon and Hardyal were pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital while Pasha died about 07:00h.
The Police investigation is in progress.