Police officer charged as probe continues into leaked surveillance footage.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Police have charged another colleague as the investigation into the “alleged unauthorized access to, extraction, and disclosure of surveillance footage from the Guyana Police Force Command Center,” linking the Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed, has widened.

Police said that Constable Ashton Chappelle, 24, has been charged with obtaining and giving electronic data relating to the national security of the state, in contravention of the Cyber Crime Act.

The police constable, who was arrested last Friday, was remanded to prison after appearing at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Abigail Gibbs on Monday.

He is the second police officer to be charged in connection with the alleged download and removal of the video recordings. The other officer is Ryan Greene, who, along with Mohamed, was denied bail last week and remanded to prison until November 24.

Meanwhile, police in riot gear were called to the Magistrates’ Court on Monday evening to quell a protest by supporters of the Opposition Leader demanding his release from prison.

The group had gathered outside the courthouse since early morning as Mohamed appeared. When they realized that Mohamed was being taken back to prison later in the day, some of the protesters pushed down the police barricade, forcing the law enforcement officers to fire tear gas and pellets at them.

Many of the people ran toward the Stabroek market, and moments later a small fire was seen at the front of the market. The Guyana Police Force has since warned that it will not encourage riotous behavior and that people will face public order charges for any illegal action.