Cops in driver’s licence forgery case freed

Three members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who were slapped with a total of 50 fraud charges in 2018 in connection to forgery of driver’s licenses have been freed of the crime as the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence.

It was alleged that on April 12, 2018, at the Felix Austin Police College, 25-year-old Corporal Ryan Gray and 31-year-old Corporal Shenese Fraser conspired with persons to forge 38 questionnaires on the theoretical examination.
Further, 51-year-old Alfred Park, of 1129 Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), had also appeared in court and denied the charge which alleged that on the same day in Georgetown, intending to defraud the public, he conspired with persons to commit a felony, to which he uttered 12 questionnaires, knowing them to be forged, in that they were not written by the 12 persons, whose names they were in.
They were on trial before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, who upheld a no-case submission made by their lawyer Patrice Henry, and the charges were dismissed.
It was reported that on April 12, 2018, the trio was responsible for invigilating the examination. A total of 174 candidates were slated to write the theoretical examination.

The court heard that on the day of the examination, only 106 candidates showed up, However, on the conclusion of the exam, it was discovered that a total of 207 examination papers were submitted.
The prosecution had contended that on the conclusion of the examination, it was discovered that 207 examination papers were submitted to the invigilators. However, after the test, pastors who allegedly invigilated the examination reported the wrongdoing to officers. Hence an investigation was launched.