Three serving members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were today remanded to prison for allegedly stealing a quantity of narcotics from the West Ruimveldt Police Station.
The accused are 26-year-old Constable Grenville Harris of South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara (ECD); 39-year-old Corporal Floyd Pellew of Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara (WCD); and Corporal Latchman Singh of Weldaad, West Bank Demerara (WBD).
At the time of the alleged incident, they were all stationed at the West Ruimveldt Police Station Police Station; however, Singh was attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The trio appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts on a joint larceny charge related to the alleged theft of 400 grams of cocaine.
The charge alleges that on March 13, the three officers stole the narcotics that had been secured at the West Ruimveldt Police Station. They were jointly charged, and they were not required to plead.
They men were remanded to prison until May 14.
In objecting to bail, the prosecution alleged that the accused had obstructed the course of justice and interfered with witnesses, and urged the court to set an example that would deter other officers from engaging in similar misconduct.
According to information provided to the court, when senior officials discovered the drugs missing, the matter was reported, triggering an internal investigation, and advice was sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to institute charges.
During the investigation, it was observed that the seal to a storage box had been breached and that four parcels of the drugs were missing.
The prosecution revealed that CCTV footage captured Corporal Pellew removing the suspected narcotics from the box and handing them to Singh and Harris.
Meanwhile, the court was further informed that cops remain employed with the Guyana Police Force; they have not been suspended, dismissed, or interdicted from duty.
Defence Attorney Patrice Henry, who represented both Singh and Pellew, pushed back against the prosecution’s arguments. He said Corporal Singh has served with the Force for over 16 years and maintained an “unblemished record.” Henry insisted that Singh is not known to the police for any misconduct, and the only reputation he has is one of integrity and service.
Henry also raised questions about the nature of the substance allegedly stolen. He told the court that the Police Force has previously mistaken common substances like milk and flour for cocaine and that no forensic analysis had been presented to confirm whether the seized material was indeed illegal.
The attorney further rejected the prosecution’s claim that there was a risk of witness tampering. He added that all three men had previously been on self-bail during the internal investigation and never attempted to interfere with the case.
Meanwhile, attorney Eusi Anderson, representing Constable Harris, said his client is a law-abiding officer and father of one who has served the Force with distinction. Anderson described the allegations as “whimsical” and stated that Harris was unfamiliar with the charge read in court, which he claimed differed from what was initially put to him.
Despite the arguments advanced by both attorneys, Magistrate Azore denied bail and remanded the men to prison.
In a separate matter, Corporal Singh was also charged with unlawfully assaulting a man named on August 8, 2024, at the West Ruimveldt Police Station. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of $25,000. That matter was adjourned to May 14.
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