Scam artist found not guilty of shooting at cops

Jul 16, 2016 News

Gopaul Tiwari, who is a known scam artist, was yesterday freed of two charges of discharging a loaded firearm at two policemen by City Magistrate Judy Latchman, in Court Three of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Tiwari, 47, of Craig Village, East Bank Demerara was found not guilty of unlawfully and maliciously discharging a loaded firearm at the police ranks on May 9, at Diamond East Bank Demerara.
Yesterday, after Police Corporal Kerry Bostwick, closed the case of the prosecution by calling his final witness, the Magistrate ruled that a prima facie case was not made out against Tiwari for the offences and dismissed the charges.
During the trial, investigators in the matter failed to tender the firearm Tiwari allegedly discharged on the day in question. They also failed to present an analyst report to the court to prove that Tiwari’s hands were dusted for gun powder residue.
It was on these grounds that the Magistrate dismissed the cases.
Tiwari was not even called on to lead a defence.
Prosecutor Bostwick told the court that there was sufficient evidence against Tiwari for him to lead a defence to explain why he should not be found liable for the offences.
Bostwick asked the court to believe the evidence given by Detective Corporal Devon Lowe, Constable Huranan Deonarine and Alex Anais, all attached to the Major Crimes Investigation Unit, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown.
Deonarine, Bostwick said, testified that Tiwari pointed a firearm in his direction.
Deonarine and Anais testified that on the day in question they received information that Tiwari who was wanted for fraud was in the vicinity of Grove/Diamond East Bank Demerara.
The officers said that they proceeded to the location in a police vehicle. They testified that when Tiwari spotted the vehicle he began driving at a fast rate of speed, peeping through the rear view mirrors.
Deonarine testified that he managed to intercept the vehicle Tiwari was driving and Anais exited the vehicle and shouted “police”. It was at this point, Deonarine and Anais said, Tiwari pulled out a darkish object suspected to be a firearm and pointed it out the vehicle window.
The witnesses testified that they heard a loud explosion a few seconds after.
However, under cross examination, Anais said that he did not see a bullet exit the barrel but heard a loud explosion come from Tiwari’s direction.
The policemen took cover at the side of their vehicle and Deonarine returned fire.
When asked by the Magistrate what he had to say in relation to the evidence given by the prosecutor, Tiwari stressed that the police have a very weak case against him.
He said that the offences for which he was charged are serious and that police had failed to produce the firearm he discharged at them to the court. He added that although detectives dusted his hands and vehicle for gun powder residue, they failed to tender an analyst report in court.
But Prosecutor Bostwick argued that although the firearm was not tendered in court there was sufficient evidence for Tiwari to lead a defence.
Tiwari is currently serving a jail sentence on fraud related offences.

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