A 20-year-old police constable has been placed under close arrest after allegedly admitting to accepting $800,000 from U.S.-sanctioned Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed in exchange for confidential surveillance footage linked to a shooting incident outside the residence of a senior police officer who is also a witness in Mohamed’s extradition proceedings.
According to a statement issued by the Guyana Police Force on Monday, investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters arrested the constable, who was stationed at the Force’s Command Centre, following intelligence received about the alleged unauthorised disclosure of surveillance recordings.
Police said the constable admitted during questioning that, while on duty Friday, Oct. 23, he secretly downloaded footage relating to the shooting incident outside the residence of Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, head of the Force’s Special Branch.
The constable allegedly told investigators that he transferred the footage to a flash drive on instructions from Mohamed.
According to police, the following day, Saturday, Oct. 24, Mohamed arranged for an employee to transport the constable to his residence at Houston, East Bank Demerara.
Investigators said Mohamed allegedly offered the constable $800,000 in exchange for the recording, paid him the money in cash and collected the flash drive containing the footage.
The constable reportedly disclosed that he subsequently spent part of the money on shopping and handed the remaining cash to his mother.
Police said detectives were working to recover the money as investigations continued into several possible criminal offences.
The arrest comes hours after Mohamed held a press conference Monday at which he presented video footage in an attempt to defend his actions during the earlier incident outside Narine’s Barr Street, Kitty, residence.
During the news conference, Mohamed maintained that neither he nor his driver stopped or exited their vehicle near Narine’s home. He also denied attempting to interfere with a witness in the extradition proceedings and alleged that a police officer had fired at his vehicle.
Mohamed reportedly acknowledged passing Narine’s residence twice and presented footage to support his account. The footage did not conclusively establish who fired the shots.
The original incident occurred Oct. 12, when Mohamed and two other men allegedly drove past Narine’s residence. Police said Narine heard what appeared to be a gunshot and discharged his service weapon in response.
Mohamed and two associates, Mario Mohamed and Eugene Thorne, were subsequently charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and attempting to obstruct the course of justice. All three pleaded not guilty and were granted bail of $750,000 each.
Narine is a material witness in the ongoing extradition proceedings involving Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, who are wanted in the United States to face federal charges involving alleged fraud, money laundering and customs offences connected to gold exports.
The senior police officer has already testified before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman and faced extensive cross-examination by defence attorneys.
The latest development introduces a separate investigation into the alleged unauthorised removal of police surveillance material and the reported payment to a serving member of the Force.
Investigations are continuing.