Police have confirmed that Constable Ashton Chappelle, who was yesterday remanded to prison on a cybercrime charge, was charged in connection with the investigation into the alleged unauthorised disclosure of surveillance footage relating to a shooting incident outside Senior Superintendent Prem Narine’s residence.
In an update to their earlier release, police said the investigation had previously resulted in charges against Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and Constable Ryan Greene.
Chappelle, called “Chappy”, 24, of Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara, was arrested on Friday, October 30, and charged on Monday, November 2.
He appeared before Magistrate Abigail Gibbs at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, charged with obtaining and giving electronic data relating to the national security of the State, under the Cybercrime Act No. 16 of 2018.
Bail was refused and he was remanded to prison until November 24. Police had earlier said the alleged offence occurred on October 24.
The initial police release did not provide particulars of the alleged conduct or indicate whether Chappelle’s charge was connected to the case involving Mohamed. The subsequent statement confirmed that connection but did not detail the role Chappelle allegedly played in obtaining or disclosing the footage.
In a November 1 statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs described the alleged unauthorised access to, extraction and disclosure of footage from the Guyana Police Force’s Command Centre at Liliendaal as a serious threat to the confidentiality and integrity of law enforcement operations.
The ministry said it expected a comprehensive review of personnel, access controls, supervisory arrangements and operational procedures to establish the extent of the alleged breach and identify any failures of conduct or oversight.
“Political office does not confer immunity from investigation, just as political affiliation cannot be a basis for prosecution,” the ministry stated.
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