“Paper Shorts” murder probe – Opposition Leader’s former security guards, car dealer granted $1M bail each

Three men who were taken into custody as investigations into the execution-style killing of Ricardo “Paper Shorts” Fagundes intensified were released on $1 million bail each on Tuesday. Bail was granted to Mark Richmond and Udoh Kanu, both former security guards of Opposition Leader US- sanctioned and indicted Azruddin Mohamed, along with Amarnauth Ramsook, a car dealer.
The men were initially arrested last Thursday, but the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had applied for an extension to further detain the men for another 72 hours. That application was granted on Saturday and ended on Tuesday. With respect to Ramsook, detectives stated that he had reportedly sold the car used in the execution of the former miner. He was released after his 72-hour detention period ended. Following his release, Richmond, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Damien Da Silva, stated that while he had nothing to say, he was treated as a criminal.

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 but he was reportedly not at home. He nevertheless turned up with his lawyer, later in the day. It was further reported that based on new evidence gathered in the case the men were arrested. Richmond was arrested back in 2022 after then Policeman Dion Bascom posted videos on Facebook on August 11, 12, 13, and 19. Shortly after he was arrested by the Customs Anti-Narcotic 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. Bascom went a step further by implicating 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. 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 when his phone rang and he exited the nightspot to take the call; shortly thereafter, several gunshots were heard. 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 (RSS) to assist in solving the murder of Fagundes.
The 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 GPF, namely that Detective Supt Caesar and Inspector Stephens attempted to cover up the unlawful killing/homicide of Fagundes “were hearsay having no provenance”.