GEORGETOWN, Guyana–Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken says the findings of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) into allegations made by a senior police officer alleging a significant police cover-up in the investigations into the murder of famous biker Ricardo Fagundes are now before the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
In a statement, Hicken said it was also unfortunate that Detective Sergeant Dion Bascom’s “unfounded allegations have publicly involved senior members of the Force and other persons.”
“This is of grave concern to the Guyana Police Force. Sergeant Bascom’s public statements – made while serving as an active member of the Guyana Police Force – breach the Code of Conduct of the Police Force. I have, as a result, ordered an immediate investigation of this matter by the Office of Professional Responsibility”.
Attorney Nigel Hughes on Monday wrote to President Dr. Irfaan Ali urging that Bascom be placed in a witness protection program.
Hughes said his client had received death threats since making certain utterances on social media against the named senior police officer, the son of a well-known city gold dealer, and his security guard.
But those named have since dispatched letters from their lawyer to Bascom refuting his claims and requesting a public apology or face multi-million-dollar lawsuits.
Hughes said Bascom planned to defend himself in any defamation lawsuit that challenges his statements on social media.
In his statement, the acting Police Commissioner said, “Bascom has refused to submit himself to any investigation by the police of his public allegations, nor provide any evidence in support of the claims which he has made public.
“It is not without significance that Sergeant Bascom found himself personally compromised during an exercise carried out by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit and that his public statement immediately followed this matter,” Hicken said, adding that “Sergeant Bascom, at his request, is currently at home on sick leave.”
Bascom, 33, who was among five people arrested on Monday by members of the Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) after a quantity of cocaine was seized at a house in the capital, said in his Facebook video that he was only visiting a friend when the bust was made. He has not been charged and has since been released.
But he alleged that he was being targeted for highlighting concerning occurrences in the GPF, including a cover-up that may have impacted the investigation into the murder of Fagundes—also known as Paper Shorts; he was shot several times on March 21, 2021, soon after leaving a nightclub.
CCTV footage of the incident showed Fagundes walking towards a black vehicle after exiting the nightclub when two gunmen jumped out of a parked car and riddled him with bullets.
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