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‘Calls grow for state protection of Bascom’
– PPP candidate says Pres. Ali’s can cause ignorant reactions from “Paper Shorts” killers
Kaieteur News – A former candidate of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC), Robin Singh has pointed out that President Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s hesitancy to grant police Sergeant, Detective Dion Bascom, protection, can cause an “ignorant reaction” from the killers of Ricardo Fagundes popularly known as “Paper Shorts”.
Senior Detective, Sergeant Dion Bascom
Fagundes, a well known gold dealer and close friend of Roger Khan was gunned down in March 2021, moments after stepping out of a popular night spot on Main Street, Georgetown. Bascom, a detective who was part of the investigation into the case has implicated two suspects in Paper Shorts’ murder and had accused his superiors at the Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Department of accepting a bribe to cover it up. Since his public claims, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has attacked his credibility as a police officer and called him a liar. Bascom had said that he has evidence to support his claims and is fearful for his life. On August 16, it was reported that his lawyer, Nigel Hughes, had on his behalf requested protection from the head of state.
However, more than two weeks after and Ali is yet to respond on whether or not he will grant Bascom protection. According, to Robin Singh, a PPP/C candidate for the 2020 elections, the President’s hesitancy can cause misfortune to befall Bascom. In a Facebook post Singh, who is also a close associate of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo stated: “…as President Ali dithers, and the Regional Security System (RSS) probe into the vagaries of the GPF murder investigation has mysteriously stalled, the need for protection of the whistleblower grows ever more urgent as desperation may cause ignorant reactions from the perpetrators of the Fagundes murder”. He continued: “Heaven forbids that any misfortune should befall Dion Bascom. Emperor Nero famously fiddled as Rome burnt; it would seem that this history lesson was missed by President Ali”.
PPP Candidate, Robin Singh
The detective had publicly claimed that with the use of technology, investigators were able to place a security guard with Mohamed’s Enterprise on Lombard Street, Mark Richmond at Main Street on the night Paper Shorts was killed. He had further stated that during and after the murder, Bascom had been in contact with prominent businessman Azruddin Mohamed. He alleged too that when the evidence was handed over to one of his supervisors, Superintendent, Mitchell Caesar, he never acted on it. Bascom accused Caesar of taking a bribe to cover-up the murder investigation. Mohamed has since slapped Bascom with a $200M lawsuit for defamation of character while Richmond and Caesar have threatened to sue him for millions for the same.
Murdered, Ricardo Fagundes better known as “Paper Shorts”
GPF had called his accusations false and malicious in nature. Its Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) had investigated him for breaching the police code of conduct and according to reports, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali Hack SC. has advised criminal charges against Bascom.
However, President Ali had invited the RSS headquartered in Barbados to review Paper Short’s murder investigation and investigate Bascom’s allegations. Kaieteur News had reached out to the Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn for an update on the progress of the RSS probe but messages sent were unanswered. However, in other sections of the media, he was quoted saying that the RSS’ probe timeline was extended.
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