POLICE Sergeant Dion Bascom was on Wednesday released on $300,000 bail for three cybercrime charges. Bascom allegedly accused two senior officers of covering up the murder of Ricardo Fagundes, known as “Paper Shorts”.

Bascom, who was hauled before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, denied the three charges, which alleged that he, during August, used a computer system to transmit electronic data with the intent to humiliate, harass or cause substantial emotional distress to Superintendents Mitchell Ceasar and Chabinauth Singh.

The State was represented by Police Legal Adviser Mandel Moore, while Bascom was represented by Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes.

During his bail application, Hughes told the court that his client does not pose a flight risk; that rather, he is fearful for his life, as he has been receiving death threats. Bascom is currently on official sick leave.

The defence is contending that with respect to Section 17 of the Protected Disclosures Act that puts a restriction on certain information, there would be some difficulties in proving the claims made by Bascom.

Hughes disclosed that on Wednesday, Bascom filed private charges against Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum for an alleged cybercrime offence. Blanhum will face this charge on September 21.

Moore, on Wednesday, strongly objected to Bascom being granted pretrial liberty, contending that the charges are of a “serious” nature.

He further contended that Bascom poses a flight risk, since he is the holder of a passport and visa.

The Chief Magistrate released Bascom on $300,000 bail, and adjourned the matter until September 21.

Bascom was ordered to lodge his passport at the court, and report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters every other Friday.
Back in August, Bascom posted on social media a live video which he later deleted. In the video, he named several persons and senior officers while making a series of allegations.

After deleting the video, he made a written post.

The social media postings by Bascom were in retaliation for getting arrested on August 8, during a Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) raid of a home in Norton Street, Georgetown. Bascom was eventually released.

In the now-deleted Facebook video, Bascom claimed that he believed his detention had to do with his work on the case in the murder of Fagundes.

A popular gold dealer and biker, 42-year-old Fagundes was gunned down on Main Street, Georgetown, on March 21. Fagundes was shot more than a dozen times.

Businessman Azruddin Mohamed has also filed a $200 million lawsuit against Bascom in relation to claims the latter made regarding Fagundes’ murder. Mohamed has contended that the allegations made by Bascom are false

The Regional Security System (RSS) recently reviewed the probe into the murder by the Guyana Police Force. The RSS confirmed that there was no evidence to suggest that there was any attempt to cover-up Fagundes’ murder and there is also no evidence of corrupt practices as alleged in the public.

The RSS agreed to facilitate the request from the Government of Guyana and a former Detective Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Police Service, Serious and Organised Crime Command of the United Kingdom (UK) was deployed to provide assistance.

The RSS review revealed that the bribery allegations made by Bascom against the senior officers were “hearsay”.