A SERVING member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was on Tuesday fined a total of $250,000 after pleading guilty to a series of traffic-related offences, before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Rawle Welcome, 25, of South Ruimveldt, confessed that on May 6, 2018 at Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, he rode motor cycle CH 1682 in a dangerous manner.
He further confessed to five other charges which stated that he rode the cycle without being the holder of a driver’s license; the cycle was uninsured; it did not have a road licence; it was uncertified for road use; and also he did not have on a helmet on the same day in question.

According to reports, Welcome was riding along Vlissengen Road with a female pillion rider when he attempted to overtake another vehicle on the outer lane. He, however, lost control and crashed into the side of the vehicle and fell onto the road surface. Both Welcome and the pillion rider received injuries to their faces and bodies.
Magistrate Latchman in her ruling considered the prevalence of such offences in today’s society.

“You ought to know better” the magistrate said, as she pointed to the fact that Welcome is a police officer and should respect the law while setting a better example to civilians.
The magistrate ordered Welcome to pay a fine of $250,000 bail and cautioned him “not to do something like this again!”