Latest update April 11th, 2025 9:20 AM
Missing cocaine from office…DPP recommends disciplinary charges for former police narco head
After a large quantity of cocaine, tendered as evidence, disappeared from a storage room in his office, at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary, Superintendent Wayne DeHearte, was transferred to Berbice after an investigation was launched.
At the time he was head of the Guyana Police Force Narcotics Branch.
With several months gone by, the police have since received advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions to proceed with disciplinary charges under the police’s (disciplinary) act Chapter 17:01.
This was confirmed by the country’s Crime Chief, Lyndon Alves, recently. He stated, “Police received advice to proceed with disciplinary charges”.
Alves further stated that the file was sent to the Police Service Commission for action to be taken. It is unclear how long advice was given to proceed with the necessary charges since “that information is not available”, Alves stated.` Commander of B’ Division, found himself in quite a situation when the exhibit, weighing almost four kilograms, was discovered missing from his office.
Former head of the Police’s Narcotic Branch, Superintendent Wayne DeHearte
Initial information reported by this publication stated that the cocaine was supposed to be stored in the armoury at the Tactical Service Unit (TSU). However the illegal substance was stashed away in the storage room of the Superintendent’s office, in a briefcase.
The senior cop was the only one with a key to the office, a police source had told Kaieteur News. The cocaine was connected to a case involving an ex-cop Travis Mendonca who was sentenced to three years in prison after cocaine was discovered tucked away in a false bottom of his suitcase while he was attempting to board a flight to New York.
This publication had also reported that the illegal substance went missing, coincidentally when a second suspect in the same case, Delvor Bunbury, had turned himself over to police. A wanted bulletin was issued for his arrest.
A police source, close to the investigation explained that when Bunbury turned himself into CID on Tuesday, the investigating ranks sent for the cocaine so that they could have weighed it in front of him (Bunbury) and read his arrest to him.
The source explained that DeHearte was informed that the cocaine was needed. He reportedly took the illegal substance, in the suitcase, to the two ranks who requested it and allegedly walked away.
Shortly after, when the ranks opened the suitcase, the substance was nowhere to be found. The officer, who was then contacted, informed the ranks that he collected the suitcase and dropped it off; he did not check the suitcase to see if the substance was inside.
As is customary, the senior officer was supposed to check the suitcase in front of the ranks he was handing it over to and allow them to sign—but this was not done. Investigators checked his office but there was no sign of a break in.
It was suspected that Bunbury only turned himself in because he knew the cocaine was gone.
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