Hours after Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed released surveillance footage which he said proved an assassination attempt against him, the Guyana Police Force issued two statements within minutes of each other alleging that a constable had sold him the recording for $800,000.
The first statement said investigators were examining allegations of an unauthorised disclosure in exchange for money. The second presented a more detailed account, asserting that the constable had admitted obtaining the footage on Mohamed’s instructions and accepting payment at his Houston, East Bank Demerara residence.
At his press conference, Mohamed went through the recording, pointing to sequences which he maintained supported his allegation of an attempt on his life. He said members of the Special Branch, headed by Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, had provided the video because they disagreed with the incident.
Police identified the footage as relating to a shooting outside Narine’s residence. Neither statement addressed Mohamed’s allegation of an assassination attempt.
According to the force, investigators from Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters arrested the 20-year-old constable, who is stationed at the Command Centre, yesterday, acting on intelligence received.
The first statement said preliminary investigations indicated that the recording was downloaded without authorisation on Friday, October 23, and transferred to an external storage device. It said investigators were examining allegations that the footage was provided to Mohamed the following day for $800,000.
In the second statement, police said the constable admitted that, while on duty on October 23, he discreetly downloaded the footage and saved it to a flash drive on Mohamed’s instructions.
Police further alleged that Mohamed dispatched an employee on October 24 to transport the rank to his Houston residence. There, the statement said, Mohamed offered and paid him $800,000 in cash and collected the flash drive.
The constable also allegedly told investigators that he spent a portion of the money on shopping and handed the remainder to his mother.
These alleged admissions were recounted by police. Neither statement announced charges against the constable or Mohamed.
The first statement said the rank had been placed under close arrest. The second said he remained under arrest and that detectives were seeking to recover the alleged bribe money, while investigations into “the commission of several offences” continued.
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