Police Force compromised – Norton

…as he demands international probe into Bascom’s allegations

Leader of the Opposition Aubrey Norton has said that the Guyana Police Force should not be responsible for investigating the allegations of the cover up of a murder probe levelled by Sergeant Police Dion Bascom.

Bascom, during a Facebook live video on Thursday, accused the police force of covering up the murder of Ricardo Fagundes on March 21st last year. The allegations have since triggered a probe by the police force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

In short clips extracted from the live broadcast and seen by Stabroek News, Bascom, who said he had been a member of the GPF for 12 years, voiced his frustration at being used by the force without receiving any credit for his work. He also said he was tired of hidden corrupt practices involving senior members within the force. It was against this background that he cited the Fagundes case.

Fagundes, who was a close friend of convicted drug trafficker Roger Khan, was riddled with bullets by two men outside of the Palm Court on the evening of Sunday, March 21, last year. At the time of the attack, he was approaching a parked vehicle owned by Khan.

At his weekly press conference yesterday, Norton said that Bascom’s allegations are serious enough to warrant an immediate and full-blown investigation. He added that the investigation should be conducted by independent international experts, be launched promptly without the usual game-playing by the government or the police high command, and extend to Detective Bascom the protections and other measures common to whistle-blowing arrangements.

In the same breath, Norton said that they are also sure that the government will not act on the side of the rule of law.

“…the party’s view is that the Guyana Police Force cannot investigate a matter like this properly, because they are compromised and that is why we have been calling for an international team to investigate. The fact that the allegations of cover-up will suggest that the Police was complicit in the activity.

“Why would we want to charge Caesar to be tried by Caesar…we are of the view that it needs an international investigation and that if the evidence is suggesting the Police is corrupt, if the evidence is suggesting that the Police attempted to cover up then why would the Police be the appropriate people to investigate this issue?” Norton questioned.

He added that the Opposition does not believe that the accused officers acted in isolation.

Norton said that the Opposition supports the actions taken by Bascom’s lawyers and will be laying questions about the investigation in the National Assembly once sittings resume.