POLICE STILL MUM ON ALLEGED DRUG DEAL FINGERING SENIOR COP

Almost five months after the alleged drug deal conversation between Senior
Police Superintendent Steve Merai and a city businessman surfaced the
police remain tightlipped about the investigation.

Acting Commissioner of Police Henry Greene in an invited comment on Friday
regarding progress in the investigations said that he did not wish to comment.

In June this year the controversial senior officer's voice was reportedly
heard demanding money from an alleged drug dealer to settle an issue.
Initial reports had stated that the Guyana Police Force was in receipt of
a copy of the recording and a transcript. The force had also indicated
that the transcript and recording were accompanied by a letter. Since then
the acting police commissioner had said that investigations were ongoing.
Greene informed the media earlier that Merai had been transferred to the
Eve Leary Headquarters to facilitate investigations as he was in charge of
all ministerial patrols. However when contacted on Friday Greene said he
will not say anything on the issue. When asked if Merai was still in
charge of ministerial patrols, the acting police commissioner refused to
comment too. According to the recordings, the businessman had collected a
delivery of cocaine from another man who resides on the West Demerara,
after the drugs had been ! shipped by a Guyanese living in Venezuela. The
businessman having collected the narcotics had allegedly refused to pay
for it and the Venezuelan man and his West Demerara accomplice
had reportedly contacted Merai asking him to ensure that the businessman
paid up. Merai was heard on the tape demanding US$60,000 from the
businessman to settle the case. Merai had later explained to the media
that he was really working undercover and trying to bring down drug
lords. A source has since confirmed that the senior superintendent is
still operating from Eve Leary. However Stabroek News was unable to
confirm whether or not the senior cop was still in charge of ministerial
patrols.

In the last update on the investigation, Greene had said the force had
received information that the main suspect in the case had fled to
neighbouring Suriname and hence the investigations had stalled.
Observers pointed out that that person was not crucial to the
investigation as everything hinged around whether Merai's explanation was
credible.