The fate of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) rank at the Reliance Police Station, Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), who was arrested on Saturday after a series of damning reports of corrupt activities including falsifying evidence, is soon to be determined.
According to the police, investigations were conducted last week into the claims by several persons that the cop had been “planting evidence” at various locations and forcing innocent persons to pay him monies to avoid arrest.
A file has been compiled on these matters and has been dispatched for legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions on the way forward.
INews was told that the CID rank was placed under close arrest on Friday after the owners of a SuperBet location in Berbice made a report at the police station. The business owners reported that the rank had placed marijuana at their premises during a police search and then accused them of possession of the illicit substance.
INews was told that the CID rank along with another officer had gone to the SuperBet location to conduct a search but while the other officer walked straight into the establishment, the alleged corrupt rank stood at the corner of the building and “threw” an item to the corner.
This was the item he picked up during his “search”, which he used to accuse the owners at the SuperBet location of having marijuana on their premises.
A source close to the investigation told this publication that when the embattled CID rank confronted the owners about “his find”, they vehemently denied ownership or having knowledge as to where the marijuana could have appeared from or to whom it belonged.
However, the police constable continued to press the issue and allegedly told them that they had a choice; either pay him to “drop the matter” or they would be arrested for the marijuana possession.
The owners reportedly refused to pay him but rather, went to the police station with Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage showing the rank’s action.
A senior police rank, who is probing the incident, told this publication that regardless of what was inside of the package, the search conducted by the CID rank along with his partner had not been authorised. In fact, no other rank at the police station was aware that the duo was going to visit the SuperBet location to conduct a search.
On Saturday, other persons visited the Reliance Police Station where they also alleged that the same CID rank had “planted evidence” to have them arrested. Persons also purported that he had requested they pay him to avoid being arrested for matters in which they claimed that they were innocent.
In light of this, he was re-arrested and is presently in the lock-ups as investigations into the matters continue.
