Three serving members of the Guyana Police Force who are accused of murdering Quindon Bacchus and tampering with the investigation were on Tuesday remanded to prison.
Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega, 22, of Canal Dam, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara was charged with Bacchus’ murder and remanded until July 19, 2022; the matter was transferred to the Cove and John Magistrates Court. De Nobrega was represented by attorney-at-law Kezia Williams and was not required to plead to the charge.
Lance Corporal Thurston Simon, 24, of Bareroot, East Coast Demerara and Cadet Officer 35-year-old Dameion McClennon of Patterson, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara were both charged with attempting to obstruct the course of justice by giving false information to the police during the investigation. Simon and Mc Lennon both pleaded not guilty. They were represented by attorney-at-law Everton Singh-Lammy.
The three cops made their appearance virtually before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The three men are all accused of shooting at Bacchus, 23, during an alleged undercover police operation at Haslington, East Coast Demerara on June 10, 2022.
It is alleged that Bacchus was selling an illegal firearm to De Nobrega, during which shots were fired. The Police had initially reported that Bacchus first fired shots at the cops but Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers told the court on Tuesday that the gun found on Bacchus “was not in working order.”
The shooting incident occurred at about 14:30hrs on the day in question. The next day, on June 11, 2022, Simon in an attempt to cover up what transpired, wrote a false statement.
Simon claimed that he did not fire any shots at Bacchus but according to the Prosecutor, another police rank on the operation claimed that he saw when Simon shot at Bacchus.
Bacchus was shot seven times the court heard on Tuesday.
Attorney Singh-Lammy further told the court that Simon was “threatened by senior ranks at the Special Branch to be prosecuted under the Secrecy Act and he was instructed on several occasions not to reveal particular things.”
Meanwhile, the court heard that Mc Lennon on June 30, 2022 willfully attempted to obstruct the course of justice by giving false information to the police in the investigation. Mc Lennon was recently promoted to the rank of Cadet Officer and is expected to complete his master’s in public administration within weeks.
Mc Lennon also denied shooting at Bacchus but investigators recovered two spent shells fired from his service weapon at the crime scene.
Application for bail for Mc Lennon and Simon were both denied based on the seriousness of the offence and the likelihood that they could tamper with the witnesses.
