POLICE have recovered $1M of the alleged $6M handed over to some of their colleagues as bribes to allow free passage of a quantity of cocaine in Berbice earlier this month.

The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed on Friday that investigators were able to recover in excess of one million dollars which were part of more than six million dollars in bribe paid to the police on September 10 to allow a minibus loaded with cocaine and cash to pass without any sanctions.

The actions of the ranks came to light earlier this week when a junior police rank who got wind of the development shared the information with a senior officer.

The Chronicle was told yesterday that the two police ranks who have been cooperating with the police in their investigations are the same two who buckled under the skillful investigative tactics of the CID ranks from headquarters and told ranks of where they can locate the money.

The more than one million dollars which were recovered yesterday comprised part of the total that both ranks had pocketed as their share to let the cocaine and cash pass on the day in question.

The other two ranks who are also under close arrest are continuing to hold firm to their story that they are unaware of the matter that is being investigated, and they have so far been unwilling to cooperate with the police.

While the four ranks remain in custody, the three civilians who are connected to the minibus and who had access to it on the day the cocaine and cash were allowed to pass are cooperating with the police in their investigation.

The senior police officer embroiled in the entire scandal remains under close arrest at the Tactical Services Unit (TSU), where his movements are restricted and what little movements he is allowed to make are thoroughly monitored by assigned ranks.

A senior source who is familiar with the investigation yesterday expressed dissatisfaction at the actions of the Assistant Superintendent of Police, who, according to information, has only approximately one more year on the job. The senior officer said it is just a shame that the man would become embroiled in such a corrupt practice at the end of his career, because this has the potential to cause him to lose all that he has worked for over the years.

This newspaper was told by police sources that the investigations will continue aggressively over the weekend, with all leads being followed. It was also pointed out that there is a possibility the file would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution as early as Monday for advice, following which the men should be arrained in court.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, told this newspaper on Thursday evening in an interview that he was very disturbed at the revelations on what the ranks have gotten themselves into. He said, “Who has to be jailed will be jailed” as he made reference to the new approach by the present government and force administration to weed out rogue elements from the Guyana Police Force.

On the day in question, the police received information concerning a route 63 minibus which was in the habit of transporting drugs and cash. They were also given a schedule of the new voyage of the minibus, and the ranks put systems in place to intercept the vehicle.

Once the vehicle was intercepted, the ranks searched it and discovered the items. Then they entered with the occupants of the vehicle a settlement in which they were given six million dollars to let the minibus with the illegal drugs and cash pass.

The men were forced to travel to the city to uplift the money, which, according to the facts available to this publication, was collected from a businessman in Republic Park, East Bank Demerara.

Sources familiar with the businessman say he had been charged for the murder of a relative of another businessman, but had managed to walk free after a few appearances in court.

The Chronicle was also informed that the cocaine and cash were actually the property of two men from Suriname, and after the bribe had been paid over to the police, the minibus with the items was allowed to proceed to deliver the cash and cocaine to the receiver.

The police are still looking to locate the rest of the bribe money, even as they are convinced that the cocaine is still in the country and are very interested in knowing where in Guyana the shipment is located and who received it from the occupants of the minibus.

By Leroy Smith