A high court Judge has said that she do believe that certain senior members of the Guyana Police Force have accepted bribes to protect the elusive David Singh, a defendant in a case that is before her.

As a matter of fact, the Judge was shocked to learn that a warrant that she had issued for the arrest of confidence trickster Singh has been stashed away by two named senior officers (identities withheld) within the hierarchy of the Guyana Police Force, since they were allegedly bribed by the wanted man to look the other way.

What is even more shocking is the fact that this information has come from the mouth of relatives of the wanted man in open-court.

Upon hearing this information, Justice Diana Insanally immediately summoned Police Inspector Watts, who was in charge of the police outpost at the High Court, to appear before her, where the allegations were repeated.

Stating that she believed the information that has been provided to her (about the police taking bribes in the case), the Judge expressed her disappointment in the police’s failure to execute the warrant, and the seemingly obvious efforts by certain ranks to protect the wanted man.

According to information reaching the Guyana Guardian, an arrest warrant was issued by Justice Insanally, who ordered the police to apprehend accused confidence trickster David Singh, and to let him be brought before her.

However, Singh’s relatives who usually comes to represent his interest in court, admitted to Justice Diana Insanally that the police were ‘paid-off’ since the first time. As a result, even though the lawmen had caught up with him, they did not arrest him. As a matter of fact, on the second occasion when a warrant was re-issued, the man went on to drink beers with the same party of policemen that were sent to arrest him, and with whom he is said to now have a ‘working relationship’.

To make matters worse, the wanted man was himself a former cop, and as such, also have friends at various levels of the Guyana Police Force, who is suspected to be also offering him protection.

It is understood that the police are very much aware of where the man is living in Eccles, and was recently seen laughing and drinking with him at a bar on Hadfield Street, despite being knowledgeable about the arrest warrant.

This is said to have become a normal trend for the cops every time they caught up with Singh.

The most recent occurrence was on Tuesday last (which was a holiday) when Inspector Watts in the company of others, along with one of the victims went to the man’s home at 135 Orchid Street, Eccles East Bank Demerara, and met him washing his car.

However, all the Inspector did was simply “gaff” with the wanted man and informed him that “they issue another warrant for you” before he calmly left.

In the process, he refused to arrest David Singh.

When questioned as to why he did not arrest the wanted man despite being warned by the judge to do so, Inspector Watts claimed that he cannot embarrass the ‘wanted’ man in front of his family.

As a result, the man is still walking free, while the victims that he has defrauded are now expressing their frustration and shock at the continued corrupt conduct of the police.

Another of the man’s victims have since told this publication that previously, the same thing was occurring, and only came to an end after he had paid a visit to then Crime Chief Paul Williams who immediately sent a party of policemen that had successfully apprehended Singh, almost within minutes of Williams intervention.

However, Singh was subsequently released by the judge after his wife pleaded with the court, and his attorney had made certain promises that he will appear. But, once again, the man is on the run, and the victims are not getting any help from the police.

They are now calling on the Minister of Public Security Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan and the Commissioner of Police Leslie James, to swiftly investigate the conduct of the police as it relates to their perceived protection of David Singh, and their deliberate refusal to arrest and detain him as ordered by high court Judge Diana Insanally.

They are also urging all genuine members of the Guyana Police Force to do the right thing and arrest Singh, before those who are colluding with him, continues to aid in the unfair tarnishing of the entire force.

Singh is no stranger to questionable activities. Only last year, he was dismissed from the Guyana Police Force for several corrupt practices and against fraud charges that were brought against him.

It is understood that bribe-taking by ranks at the police outpost at the High Court is an age-old issue, and have resulted in many cases being compromised in one way or the other, especially where warrants are required to be executed for the apprehension of wanted persons.

For more on this story go to: https://www.guyanaguardian.com/police-took-bribe-to-protect-wanted-man-judge-says-she-believes-so/