–arrest warrant issued for husband, wife

TWO men were remanded to prison on Monday in connection with the murder of Police Constable Quincy Lewis, whose suspected skeletal remains were found in a shallow grave along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway last week.

Shafeek Vernon, also known as ‘Profit’ of Ogle, East Coast Demerara, and Jamel Van Lewis, 35, of D’Urban Street, Georgetown, appeared virtually before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court for the capital offence.

The men were jointly charged with Thakurdial Samaroo and his wife Naqeeba Zahid Zafarali, who are still on the run.

Vernon and Van-Lewis were not required to plead to the charge, which alleged that between June 18, 2020, and June 18, 2021, at Providence, East Bank Demerara, they murdered Lewis.
The pair was remanded to prison until May 24. The police prosecutor told the court that the investigation is still ongoing.

The prosecutor further disclosed that the couple reportedly fled the jurisdiction, and a wanted bulletin has been issued for their arrest. The Magistrate issued an arrest warrant for the couple.
Last Wednesday, detectives from the Guyana Police Force’s Major Crimes Unit found the skeletal remains suspected to be those of Lewis.
Lewis disappeared in 2020 after leaving his La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara home for work.

However, the case was cracked wide open after investigators arrested Vernon and Van-Lewis, who allegedly identified Samaroo and his wife as the prime suspects.
The couple allegedly lured Lewis to their home on the East Bank Demerara, where he was shot and killed. They then transported his body to the vicinity of the Splashmin’s Resort on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway, where they dumped it.

Lewis, who was a serving member of the Guyana Police Force since 2015, was stationed at the Agricola Police Station, East Bank Demerara.

This newspaper reported that Lewis was last seen alive on the afternoon of June 19, 2020, when he left in his friend’s car, PTT 7541, to report for work.