‘Paper Shorts’ murder probe – High Court upholds detention extension for Opposition Leader’s fmr security guard

Despite Justice Sunil Scarce granting an extension for Mark Richmond on Saturday to remain in custody as police intensify their investigation into the murder of Ricardo ‘Paper Shorts’ Fagundes, another application was made for his release on Monday. In a Fixed Date Application (FDA) made before Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, Richmond’s Attorney, Damien Da Silva, stated that his client had been detained beyond the constitutionally mandated 72-hour period. During the hearing, Justice Isaacs-Marcus informed the attorney that the police had secured an extension on Saturday for Richmond to be held for another 72 hours. That extension, he reported, ends on Tuesday at 13:00h.

As such, he upheld his colleague’s order to grant the extension. Nevertheless, Da Silva complained that the police failed to inform his client of the extended detention period. Richmond, who was implicated in the murder of Fagundes, turned himself in to Police on Thursday in the company of his attorney. Guyana Times was told that detectives visited Richmond’s home on Thursday last to make the arrest by he was reportedly not at home. He nevertheless turned up with his lawyer, later in the day. It was further reported that a set of new evidence was gathered in the case. Richmond was arrested back in 2022 after then Dion Bascom posted videos on Facebook on August 11, 12, 13, and 19. Shortly after he was arrested by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) in relation to cocaine found in a house on Norton Street, Georgetown, and later released, accusing senior Police officers of a massive cover-up in the investigation into the execution of Fagundes.
During the live broadcast, Bascom named Richmond as one of the suspects in the murder and stated that, using technology, detectives were able to place him at the crime scene when the murder occurred.

Further, Bascom went a step further by implicating United States (US)-sanctioned and indicted Azruddin Mohamed, who is linked to Mohamed’s Enterprise, in the murder investigation by claiming phone records show that the suspect was in contact with him at the time of the killing. A week after the live broadcast, the Mohameds filed a $200 million lawsuit against Bascom. In 2025, Mohamed dropped the $200 million lawsuit against Bascom after he apologised for the live broadcast implicating the businessman. Ricardo “Paper Shorts” Fagundes was killed execution-style in March 2021 outside a Main Street, Georgetown, nightspot.
Reports indicate that the man was partying with a group of friends at the bar when his phone rang and he exited the club to take the call; shortly thereafter, several gunshots were heard. Reports suggest that the now-deceased man’s friends rushed out to enquire but found Fagundes lying motionlessly in a pool of blood near his motor car. Following the allegations made by Bascom, the Guyanese Government engaged the Regional Security System to assist in solving the murder of Fagundes.
The Regional Security System (RSS), during its investigation did not find any evidence of corrupt practices or an attempt to cover up the probe into the 2021 murder of Fagundes. It stated that the bribery allegations made by Sergeant Bascom against the Guyana Police Force (GPF), namely that Detective Supt Caesar and Inspector Stephens attempted to cover up the unlawful killing/homicide of Fagundes “were hearsay having no provenance”.