Elfannando Newman, a Police Detective Sergeant accused of stealing marijuana while on duty, has been freed of the SOCU charge after four years. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to secure a conviction.
On June 15, 2022, Newman was charged with Larceny by a Public Officer.
Newman was represented by Attorney-at-Law Eusi Anderson. On Tuesday, Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce dismissed the charges laid against Newman.
It was alleged that Newman received 7 kilograms of marijuana and, in his responsibilities as a public officer, stole that marijuana to protect and prevent the conviction of the person who allegedly had ownership of it.
In a statement, Anderson stated that over the course of four years, despite being interdicted from his duties, Newman continued to maintain his innocence. The magistrate concluded that the prosecution’s evidence was insufficient, inadequate, and unreliable to meet the legal requirement for conviction of Newman.
Anderson also said in the statement that he looks forward to Newman’s resumption of duties as a distinguished policeman who will continue to serve the people of Guyana.
In 2022, police intercepted a vehicle and found three large parcels of leaves, seeds, and stems of marijuana, weighing approximately 45 to 50 pounds.
During the search, one of the males, who was the driver of the car, offered the officer who found the narcotics two million dollars in cash and three ounces of gold. However, the officer refused the offer.
The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) stated that the marijuana was taken to the Timehri Police Station and handed over to Sergeant Newman, who allegedly failed to properly lodge the narcotics. SOCU had launched an investigation, and Newman was charged after they alleged that he stole the marijuana.
