Top things to know
- Guyana Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed was arrested on Wednesday at his Eccles residence for the fourth time since early September.
- Police allege Mohamed paid a 20-year-old police constable GY$800,000 for government Safe Country surveillance footage.
- The disputed 23-minute recording is linked to an October 12 shooting incident involving Special Branch head Senior Superintendent Prem Narine.
- The detained constable and his mother remain in custody while legal counsel challenges the validity of their detention in the High Court.
Guyana Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed was arrested on Wednesday at his Eccles, East Bank Demerara residence, marking at least his fourth encounter with law enforcement authorities since early September. According to Deputy Commissioner Wendell Blanhum, head of the Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Department, the latest detention stems from an ongoing investigation into an alleged bribery scheme involving government surveillance footage.
Investigators allege that Mohamed paid a 20-year-old police constable attached to the Force's Command Centre GY$800,000 in exchange for confidential recordings from the government-operated Safe Country surveillance system. Police stated that the constable admitted to downloading the footage on October 23 and handing it over the following day at Mohamed's Houston residence. Authorities reported that the officer allegedly spent part of the cash during a shopping trip and gave the remainder to his mother. Both the constable and his mother remained in custody on Wednesday, prompting the officer's father to file a High Court application challenging the legality of their detention.
The probe centers on a 23-minute recording that Mohamed publicly screened during a press conference on Monday. The opposition leader maintained that the footage substantiates his claim that an October 12 encounter involving Special Branch head Senior Superintendent Prem Narine was a failed attempt on his life. Conversely, police presented a contrasting account, asserting that Narine observed a slow-moving vehicle near his Kitty residence, heard what appeared to be a gunshot, and discharged rounds toward the vehicle in response. Attorney General Anil Nandlall noted that the alleged transaction could raise legal questions regarding bribery, evidence tampering, and attempting to pervert the course of justice, though no formal charges regarding the leaked footage had been announced against Mohamed by Wednesday afternoon.