Tony George, the Community Policing Group (CPG) member, who was previously charged with the murder of 15-year-old Ricardo Singh, is now a free man after the charge was withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The Police Prosecutor had previously requested that time be granted by the court for additional statements to be obtained after the charge was laid on October 16, 2018.
However, Attorney Dexter Todd strongly objected to any delay in the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) on the grounds that the charges were bad in law and there was no evidence to substantiate the charge. After the charge was read, the Prosecutor sought an adjournment to Monday, November 5.
When the case was called on Monday, the prosecution withdrew the murder charge.
The charge had alleged that the 28-year-old man murdered the teen of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on July 9, 2018, in the vicinity of the Soesdyke Public Road.
According to Police Prosecutor Simone Payne, the victim was with several friends at a wedding house at Soesdyke, EBD on July 9, when an altercation ensued.
Singh was subsequently arrested by George and was later placed in the tray of the Police vehicle to be escorted to the Police Station. The prosecution was contending that the accused and another male Rural Constable were on their way to the Police station when George allegedly stopped the vehicle, exited with the teen, and reportedly told the driver to leave.
The body of Singh was discovered in the wee hours of July 9 with several stab wounds, including one to his abdomen.
Based on reports received, the former Diamond Secondary School student and his friends had left their respective homes on that fateful Sunday with the intention of “taking a lime” at the Linden-Soesdyke Highway Junction, but had instead gone to the wedding house, which was close by.
The young man, who would have been celebrating his 16th birthday three days after that incident, was subsequently found in a nearby trench with his intestines protruding. He was picked up and taken to the Diamond hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Meanwhile, this publication had reported that the young man had been misbehaving at the wedding house, and the Police had been called in to intervene. However, at the time, members of the Community Policing Group (CPG) had been patrolling the area, and as such, they had reportedly arrested the young man.
