Ex-cop granted bail on drug charge; remains on remand for firearm offences

Former Police officer Franz Paul was on Friday granted bail on a narcotics charge, but will remain behind bars on related firearm and ammunition charges.
Paul, 39, returned to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, where he was represented by Attorney Dominic Bess.
Bess renewed an application for bail, stressing that his client is presumed innocent until proven guilty. He argued that the cannabis allegedly seized—2,267 grams—is still unconfirmed, as laboratory results are outstanding. “The substance remains ‘suspected’ until proper testing is completed,” Bess told the court.

The prosecution objected to bail, insisting that both the cannabis and a .22 pistol with two matching rounds were found in Paul’s possession on September 9 at Vlissengen Road. The prosecutor also cautioned that the reports may take some time to be finalised. After hearing both sides, Magistrate McGusty granted Paul $300,000 bail for the narcotics charge, noting the delay in obtaining test results. However, she refused bail on the firearm and ammunition charges, pointing to the prosecution’s claim that the weapon was found directly on his person. The matter was adjourned to October 10. Paul, who has pleaded not guilty, was first charged on September 13 and remanded to prison. His case has reignited public scrutiny, given his controversial history with the law. In 2014, Paul was accused of shooting 16-year-old Alex Griffith in the mouth during a game of Russian roulette. That case was discharged four years later after he compensated the teen.
Then, in 2018, Paul faced charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and threatening to kill his reputed wife, Rachael Carew, though those proceedings also ended without conviction.