The Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday discontinued the private criminal charge which was filed against Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Wendell Blanhum by attorney Nigel Hughes over statement/s he made against Detective Sergeant, Dion Bascom.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the charge was discontinued in accordance with the powers conferred on the DPP under Article 187 (1) (C) of the Constitution of Guy-ana.
Information reaching this newspaper revealed that the DPP yesterday dispatched a missive to the Chief Magistrate in relation to the charge.
Blanhum’s lawyers contended that the charge is an abuse of the court’s pro-cess and is nothing more than an attempt to intimidate the Crime Chief as well as other senior officers who are expected to testify in the matters against Bascom.
Hughes filed the charge on Wednesday.
The charge stated that on August 17, 2022 at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Blanhum used a computer system to disseminate information knowing the same to be false, subjecting Bascom to public ridicule.
Stabroek News was informed that the charge stemmed from statements Blanhum made at a press conference which was held at the Commissioner of Police’s, Conference Room, Eve Leary, George-town.
During the press conference, Blanhum had des-cribed allegations levelled by Police Sergeant Dion Bascom as “malicious and untrue”. Blanhum had told reporters: “The Guyana Police Force wishes to submit that Mr Bascom is not being honest and he is manufacturing false or concocted information out of malice against members of the Guyana Police Force and it all stemmed from his arrest and detention by CANU (Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit) investigators”.
Bascom went public on August 11 with chilling allegations including claims that there was a cover-up in the 2021 murder of Ricardo Fagundes to protect a businessman and that a large bribe had been paid.
He had subsequently been threatened with a lawsuit for statements made about Deputy Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Major Crimes Unit, Super-intendent of Police Mitchell Caesar about covering up the Fagundes murder. He was also sued by businessman Azruddin Mohamed for $200 million over statements made about him in connection with the case.
Bascom, who went public following his arrest in connection with a drug bust had also sought witness protection from President Irfaan Ali under the Protected Disclosures Act.
As a result of Bascom’s claims, Ali had asked the Regional Security Service (RSS) to review the allegations made by Bascom.
During last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the RSS report found that no evidence of corrupt practices or an attempt to cover up Fagundes’ case were discovered.
According to the ministry, the main objectives of the RSS review were to determine whether the GPF had effectively investigated the unlawful killing\homicide of Fagundes, to determine whether there is any evidence to support any wrongdoing by D\ Supt. Mitchell Caesar and Inspector Nigel Stephens of the GPF as alleged by Bascom.
The police had received legal advice for Bascom to face several charges.
On Wednesday, Bascom faced three cyber-crime charges and was placed on $300,000 bail.
