Ex-cop remanded on gun and drug charges

A 39-year-old former Police officer was on Friday remanded to prison for multiple firearm, ammunition, and narcotics charges.
The accused, Franz Paul, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he pleaded not guilty.
According to the charges, on September 9 at Vlissengen Road, Paul was allegedly found with 2267 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking. He was also accused of having a .22 pistol and two live rounds of .22 ammunition without a firearm licence.
Paul was represented by attorney Dominic Bess, who told the court that his client is a businessman and former Police officer with no pending matters or prior convictions. Bess argued that Paul was not present when Police searched his vehicle, which, he said, is also used by other persons. The attorney claimed that officers later informed Paul they had discovered items in the trunk suspected to be narcotics.
Bess further contended that no official report has yet confirmed the seized items as drugs, a firearm, or ammunition. He assured the court that Paul would return if granted bail.
The prosecution, however, strongly objected, citing the seriousness of the offences. The court heard that the firearm was allegedly found in Paul’s right pants pocket, while the narcotics were discovered inside the vehicle, which he alone was occupying at the time.
The prosecutor also reminded the court of Paul’s controversial history, pointing to his previous court appearances. In 2014, Paul, then a Police cadet, was accused of shooting 16-year-old Alex Griffith in the mouth during a game of Russian roulette. The case was discharged four years later, after Paul compensated the teenager with $2 million, and the Director of Public Prosecutions advised that the matter be dropped.
In 2018, Paul again found himself before the courts after being interdicted by the Guyana Police Force. He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, as well as threatening to kill his reputed wife, Rachael Carew. Reports at the time alleged that Paul brandished a .32 pistol at Carew during a domestic dispute. A struggle ensued, during which Carew managed to disarm him and hand over the weapon to a neighbour, who later surrendered it to the Police. Paul was arrested and remanded, with the court deeming him a threat to public safety.
Additionally, Paul was once charged alongside another officer for conspiring to pervert the course of justice in relation to the 2014 shooting incident. That case was dismissed in 2017 for lack of evidence.
Attorney Bess countered the prosecutor’s arguments by stressing that Paul has never been convicted of any offence and reiterated that the narcotics remain “suspected” until laboratory tests are completed. He emphasised Paul’s presumption of innocence.
The prosecution confirmed that test results on the suspected cannabis are still pending.
After considering the submissions, Magistrate McGusty denied bail and adjourned the matter to September 19.