President, Dr Irfaan Ali has ordered the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to get external help to conduct a “full and complete” probe into allegations made by a senior detective that the law enforcement agency helped to cover up the murder of Ricardo Fagundes, called “Paper Shorts” last year. The disclosure was made today by Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.
Fagundes, a known associate of convicted drug trafficker, Roger Khan, was gunned down outside Palm Court in March 2021. The detective, Dion Bascom was earlier this year removed from the case and transferred to another location. Bascom along with several others was arrested following a $1.5M cocaine bust at Norton Street, Georgetown, a little over a week ago.
In a video he posted on Facebook – which he subsequently deleted – Bascom said that he was being “set up” because of his determination to get to the bottom of the Fagundes murder, which he claimed was covered up by two cops at the behest of a city gold dealer’s son. Bascom has since requested that he joins the witness protection programme.
The GPF has launched a probe into the allegations using its Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), much to the disagreement of the main Parliamentary Opposition, which claims that the force investigation itself is inappropriate.
Jagdeo said today that Bascom’s allegations are damning, and the government, more specifically, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) must do all in its power to ensure the truth is revealed.
The VP said that as the party’s General Secretary, he will not allow the reputation of the PPP/C to be tarnished, and persons – regardless of who they are – must be held accountable for their actions.
“The People’s Progressive Party will not condone any illegal act on the part of any of those individuals or others. People have to face consequences for their actions, whatever their action is, and that is where we stand today. I told you what the President said: ‘there shall be a full and complete investigation with external support’.”
