Latest update February 10th, 2025 7:48 AM
Case dismissed against ex-detective accused of accepting bribe
By Malisa Player-Harry
Ex-detective, Richard Persaud.
Kaieteur News – After nearly eight months of going back and forth to the court, ex-Criminal Investigation Department (CID) rank, Richard Persaud, said that he has been vindicated despite losing his job.
Persaud, who was embroiled in a scandal in which he was accused of accepting money from two women in East Canje, Berbice, was hauled before the Magistrate’s Court in Berbice and charged with corrupt transaction by an agent on July 21, 2020.
His accusers were two former employees of a Superbet outlet in Reliance, East Canje. They had claimed that he had accepted bribe from them in the sum of $60,000 each to assist them in a matter at the court. He was charged with two counts for one of the individuals, another count for the second and was remanded to prison. Persaud on his second court appearance was granted bail in the sum of $150,000 on each count ($450,000). The matter was called again at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court on February 10, 2021 and the two female witnesses from East Canje were summoned by the Magistrate to appear in court. The women showed up but things took an interesting turn.
They were placed in the witness box and sworn evidence was taken. They both told the court that the police rank had visited their home multiple times one night during the investigation of a matter they were involved in, and they were told to sign several statements. They said that Persaud never collected any money from them and they apologized to the court.
The Magistrate then asked the prosecutor if there were any other witnesses or if there was additional evidence and the prosecutor responded in the negative. Magistrate Singh then dismissed the case.
Persaud, after the dismissal, revealed that since the allegations were levelled against him and charges were laid, his character has been tarnished and he was forced to resign from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) because of the pressure he faced during that time. He added that since he was charged in July of last year he has been unable to get a job and that his partner has been supporting him tremendously throughout his difficult time.
According to Persaud too, now that the matter has been dismissed and “the truth was revealed that I didn’t take any money,” he is hoping to have an audience with the GPF’s hierarchy to possibly get his job back. He said he still believes that he can be an asset to the Force. Persaud is also hoping that Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, will take interest in his case.
In 2019, proprietors of the Superbet business had accused Persaud and another uniformed rank of entering his yard and reportedly planting drugs. However, surveillance footage that had been withheld by the GPF at that time was seen by this publication and the footage had eliminated Persaud from doing such.
The footage had shown the uniformed rank, who accompanied Persaud on a report to the East Canje business place, walking near the hut and picking up an item then bringing it to a couple’s attention. Persaud was all the while just standing with his hands on his waist observing and interacting with the couple while the uniformed rank appeared to be showing the woman and her husband what he found. That uniformed rank was never held accountable but Persaud was placed on close arrest for days. It was shortly after reports that the video did not show Persaud committing the act that the new allegations of bribery surfaced. Persaud was accused of taking a bribe from two women who worked at the said Superbet business to settle the matter and police sources had confirmed that statements were taken from the women.
Persaud said that while he feels he may be targeted, once he returns to the Force, he would only strive to execute his duties to the best of his abilities.
“I will just do my work and go home; I have been through enough and I just want my job back. It has been very hard for me and my family knowing that I could not get a job during this time,” Persaud added.
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