By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — A 20-year-old Police Constable attached to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Command Centre has been placed under close arrest after allegedly confessing to investigators that he accepted an $800,000 (GYD) cash bribe from Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed in exchange for unauthorized, confidential state surveillance footage.
The leaked recordings capture events surrounding the controversial October 12 armed confrontation outside the Barr Street, Kitty residence of Senior Superintendent of Police and Head of Special Branch Prem Narine.
The arrest of the junior rank by detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters followed within hours of Mohamed’s public press conference on Monday, where the Opposition Leader screened the video files before media houses, claiming they were provided by internal sources sympathetic to him within the police intelligence apparatus.
The Bribery Allegation: Flash Drive Handover at Houston Residence
According to official statements released by the Guyana Police Force, CID investigators acted on intelligence gathered on Monday, October 26, arresting the 20-year-old constable stationed at the centralized surveillance hub:
- Unauthorized Download: The constable allegedly admitted that while on active duty on Friday, October 23, 2026, he accessed the Command Centre’s server banks and downloaded surveillance video capturing traffic movements and the shooting incident along Sandy Babb Street and Vlissengen Road outside Narine’s home.
- Transfer to Flash Drive: The rank stated he transferred and saved the high-resolution files onto an external flash drive.
- Transportation to Houston: On Saturday, October 24, an employee dispatched by Mohamed reportedly picked up the constable and drove him directly to Mohamed’s private residence in Houston, East Bank Demerara.
- Cash Exchange: At the Houston premises, Mohamed allegedly offered and handed over $800,000 (GYD) in cash in exchange for the storage drive containing the surveillance recordings.
Shopping Spree, Designer Seizures, and Fund Recovery
Detectives disclosed that immediately following the financial transaction, the 20-year-old constable went on a weekend shopping spree:
- Luxury Purchases: Investigators confirmed that a portion of the illicit cash was spent on high-end designer clothing and expensive brand-name sneakers. Ranks have since seized the luxury apparel and footwear as physical evidence.
- Funds Handed to Family: The constable admitted to handing over the remainder of the unspent cash to his mother.
- Asset Recovery: CID detectives are currently conducting searches to retrieve the remaining sums as part of the evidentiary paper trail.
Colliding Narratives: Special Branch Claims vs. Command Centre Breach
The constable’s reported confession creates a direct contradiction with public statements delivered by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed just hours earlier:
- The Opposition’s Position: During his Monday presentation, Mohamed played a 23-minute compilation of the CCTV material, claiming it exposed inconsistencies in the official GPF reports sent to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). He credited whistleblowers within the intelligence arm, stating: “Even the people in Special Branch, they are not pleased with how things are going,” suggesting the leak was an act of internal dissent.
- The State’s Position: The Guyana Police Force maintains that the footage was obtained via criminal bribery of a low-ranking officer inside the Command Centre rather than an intelligence leak from Special Branch.
The incident further complicates the legal battle surrounding the October 12 confrontation, for which Mohamed and two security associates, Eugene Thorne and Mario Mohammed, were placed on $750,000 bail on joint charges of firearm and ammunition possession and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Police legal advisers and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) are reviewing the constable’s statements to determine the formal statutory charges, including corrupt transactions with an agent, breach of the official secrets framework, and larceny of state data.
