Sherwin Crandon, a 44-year-old officer attached to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) was today released on $150,000 bail on a bribery charge.
It is alleged that on May 19, he corruptly obtained $300,000 as an inducement for forbearing to prosecute and to cause a matter against a gold miner to be dismissed.
He appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where he pleaded not guilty. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 8.
INews had reported that the gold miner had visited the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters where he revealed that in 2019, he was charged for illegal mining at Blackwater, Mahdia in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).
The gold miner revealed that the GGMC officer informed him that he was willing to dismiss the case if he is paid $300,000.
The gold miner told investigators that the GGMC officer agreed to meet with him at around 16:00hrs on May 19 at a popular bar located at Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown to collect the “bribe money”.
With this information, police executed a sting operation during which the GGMC officer was arrested and he was found to have $300,000 in his possession.
The officer reportedly admitted that he was prosecuting an active matter against the gold miner and admitted that he indeed collected money from the man. However, the officer reportedly claimed that he was borrowing the money.
