By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
EAST COAST DEMERARA — Breaking his silence following days of heightened unrest and tactical police deployments along the East Coast of Demerara, former police rank and well-known businessman Mark Cromwell, widely known as “Demond,” took to an explosive Facebook Live broadcast to categorically reject allegations connecting him or his family to the disappearance of two Surinamese nationals.
Speaking on Thursday evening, Cromwell emphatically denied that he or his relatives played any role in the alleged abduction of the two men, who reportedly entered Guyana approximately one month ago before disappearing.
Cromwell accused rogue elements within the Guyana Police Force (GPF) of launching a vindictive campaign against his household, fabricating evidence, and utilizing coercive tactics against civilian witnesses to construct a fraudulent case against his brother and wife.
Disputing the Forensic Evidence: The Vehicle and the G$20,000 Taxi Fare
Cromwell’s public address followed recent law enforcement actions that saw tactical units impound his wife’s motor vehicle and detain both his wife and brother for interrogation:
- Brother Charged and Bailed: Cromwell confirmed that his brother was formally charged in connection with the investigation and subsequently granted bail in the sum of $1 million (GYD).
- Negative Forensic Results: The businessman insisted that comprehensive forensic examinations conducted by state crime-scene technicians on his wife’s impounded vehicle yielded no biological traces whatsoever—confirming the absence of blood, hair strands, fingernail clippings, or any physical evidence linking the missing Surinamese men to the car.
- The Taxi Driver Allegation: Addressing claims that an eyewitness taxi driver told detectives he was paid G$20,000 by Cromwell’s brother to transport the foreign nationals, Cromwell dismissed the assertion as fabricated under duress. He argued that the driver was pressured by interrogators to frame his sibling.
- Exculpatory CCTV Feeds: Cromwell maintained that police already possess independent CCTV footage conclusively demonstrating that his brother was at an entirely different geographic location when the alleged kidnapping transpired.
“There are some police officers in the Police Force that I know is more corrupt and crooked,” Cromwell stated bluntly.
“They want to make my brother a scapegoat in this situation because anything that happens, once it is violent in the country, whether I am there or not, I am the one getting the blame.”
Allegations of Fabricated Evidence and Police Corruption
During the live stream, the former lawman launched a scathing attack against specific senior detectives and investigating ranks:
- Bribery and Manipulation Accusations: Cromwell leveled direct accusations against individual police officers, alleging that members of the investigating team have accepted financial payoffs, manipulated criminal dockets, and engaged in systemic corruption. However, he did not present documentary records or physical exhibits during the broadcast to substantiate those specific corruption claims.
- Fear of Planted Evidence: Addressing the thwarted tactical search at his Vigilance property—which triggered fiery street barricades and the burning of a sand truck earlier in the week—Cromwell explained his resistance, saying he feared corrupt ranks intended to plant contraband or manufactured evidence on his premises.
- No Dealings with Missing Nationals: Cromwell maintained that he had never interacted with, conducted business with, or encountered the two Surinamese men at any point, insisting that neither individual had ever been in his company or that of his family members.
‘If You Want Me, Come for Me’
Concluding his broadcast, Cromwell challenged the police executive to deal with him directly rather than subjecting his domestic circle to administrative harassment:
“If you want me, come for me,” Cromwell declared, insisting that state agencies cease using his relatives as leverage in criminal inquiries.
While tactical patrols remain vigilant along the Buxton and Vigilance corridors, the Guyana Police Force has not yet issued a formal public response to Cromwell’s broadcast statements or his allegations of investigative malpractice.
