A veteran Police Detective Sergeant attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Guyana has been exonerated of all criminal corruption charges. This ruling concludes a four-year legal battle after Senior Magistrate Sunil Scarce determined that the state’s case did not provide the necessary evidence to prove that he stole intercepted narcotics.
The charge of Larceny by a Public Officer against Detective Sergeant Elfannando Newman was officially dismissed by Magistrate Scarce at the Diamond-Grove Magistrates’ Court. The case stemmed from accusations made by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), which alleged that Newman had taken a significant amount of marijuana that was entrusted to him during a drug interdiction operation.
The legal proceedings began following a joint-services intercept where authorities discovered between 45 and 50 pounds of compressed marijuana in a vehicle occupied by two men and a woman. According to SOCU’s case file, the seized narcotics were taken to the Timehri Police Station and handed over to Newman for cataloging and formal lodging.
In June 2022, Newman was charged with falsifying station logs to record only three parcels weighing approximately 3,122 grams (6.8 pounds), while allegedly failing to account for the remaining narcotics. Investigators claimed this discrepancy indicated that Newman had stolen the missing drugs for personal gain.
However, in his final judgment delivered on June 23, 2026, Magistrate Scarce found the prosecution’s evidence to be insufficient and inconsistent, failing to meet the legal standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Following the ruling, defense attorney Eusi Anderson stated that Newman had consistently maintained his innocence throughout the legal process, even while facing suspension from active duty and receiving half-pay.
Anderson expressed relief at the magistrate’s ruling, which he believes restores Newman’s professional integrity. The defense team plans to file administrative requests with the Police Service Commission (PSC) to facilitate Newman’s reinstatement to the CID, allowing him to return to his duties with full rank, seniority, and back-dated salary entitlements.
Source: hgptv.com
