A former rank of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was on Tuesday released on $70,000 bail for obstructing the course of justice after he “willfully absented himself” from court causing a murder charge against two men to be dismissed in 2020.
Henry Clement, a 26-year-old taxi driver, appeared before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
It is alleged that between July 15, 2020, and October 21, 2020, Clement willfully obstructed the course of justice by absenting himself from court when being warned to give evidence in the case of the State versus Devon Allen aka ‘Bighead’, and Rodrick Thomas aka “Roger” for the offence of murder committed on Kevin Walters.
Clement was a member of the GPF stationed at Brickdam and attached to the impact base. During the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder case, Clement was expected to testify as a witness on behalf of the State but was failed to make an appearance.
Due to his absence, the murder charge against Thomas and Allen was dismissed.
The Chief Magistrate released Clement on $70,000 bail with the condition that he reports to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters every Monday until the completion of the case.
The ex-police officer was also ordered by the Magistrate to stay 50 feet away from the witnesses in the case. The matter is adjourned to July 18, 2021.
In October 2020, Thomas and Allen were freed after Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus upheld a no-case submission by their attorney.
The men were charged with the murder of 38-year-old taxi driver Kelvin Walters who was executed on January 22, 2019, at Eccles Public Road, East Bank Demerara.
At the end of the Preliminary Inquiry, their attorney, Latchmie Rahamat made a no-case submission on the ground that there was no evidence against her client.
Walters was a taxi driver attached to the Indian Chief Taxi Service; he resided at Queenstown, Georgetown and Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.
Police said that Walters was proceeding south on the McDoom Public Road, East Bank Demerara in the vicinity of Two Brothers Gas station at around 19:30hrs with his wife and five-year-old daughter in the car when motorcycle CJ 2686 pulled up alongside them and two men ordered Walters to pull over.
After Walters refused, one of the men pulled out a handgun and shot him in his left side jaw. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where was pronounced dead.
