By Leroy Smith
The Guyana Police Force has found itself in an embarrassing situation so much so, that it has remained silent on the entire ordeal.
The News Room has been able to confirm that Police Corporal Shavon Marks, who is fingered in the smuggling of an AK-47 Assault rifle out of the Tactical Services Unit, is now on the run.
According to information reaching the News Room, police ranks in the various divisions have been placed on alert to look out for the corporal and to arrest him on site. We are told however that this is a challenge for the ranks in the various divisions because they do not know what the rank looks like and were not issued with any photograph of the rank by the administration of the Force.
On Monday Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told the media that Marks was taken off of close arrest and that he and the other ranks fingered in the probe were placed on open arrest.
Also on Monday, the two senior police officers indicated that the Force was awaiting legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution in relation to the charges to be leveled after the investigating ranks recommended criminal charges for the corporal and the civilian in the matter and departmental charges for the other ranks.
Today the New Room confirmed that the police corporal reported sick, while on open arrest and was allowed to go and see a doctor. It is unclear if he was examined by the doctor at the Brickdam Police Station where he was confined or if he was escorted to see a doctor outside of the police compound.
According to the standards of the Force, when a rank reports sick, whether, on close arrest or normal duties, they are either given an opportunity to spend their sick leave at home or within the confines of the police compound. That decision, however, lies with the officer who is responsible for supervising the rank.
On Monday the members of the media waited for hours for the rank and the civilian to appear in court but they never showed. The following day, Tuesday (yesterday) police sources told various members of the media that they were still awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecution in relation to the matter.
It is unclear if the police received any advice in relation to the AK-47 probe. Police sources who spoke with News Room informed that the reason the civilian was not passed through court is because they cannot find the corporal and to pass the civilian through court without the police rank would raise eyebrows.
Today Tuesday marks seven days since the AK-47 was discovered in the possession of the civilian. It also marks seven days since the civilian has been in custody that is a total of 168 hours in detention. It is unclear if the police received any extension from the court to hold the civilian for that period in their custody.
