Updated: Lethem arms bust suspect surrenders, released without bail after High Court move

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:02 by GxMedia

Clive ‘Bora’ King

Six months after the unearthing of a large cache of high powered rifles and ammunition from a yard in Lethem, a key suspect has surfaced and has been released without charge and he was not required to post bail.

Police Chief of Criminal Investigations, Deputy Commissioner Seelall Persaud said Clive ‘Bora” King surrendered earlier this week and was released on his own recognizance.

His lawyer, Latchmie Rahamat told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves,com) that he surrendered Tuesday around 8:45 Am in the company of a lawyer and was released Wednesday shortly after 11 AM after his lawyer filed habeas corpus proceedings.

Rahamat said that the habeas corpus was filed because there was no absolutely no evidence on which to hold King, a contractor in the construction industry. He has since gone back to the southern Guyanese township of Lethem. The police were required to show cause why King should have been detained in the absence of evidence to link him to the weapons find.

Police had issued a wanted bulletin for King to question him about the discovery of the arms and ammunition on October 1 in the yard of his Tabatinga, Lethem home. At the time of the raid, King was not at home. His wife was arrested and later released without charge. Their employee, 19-year old Benedict Thompson, who was there at the time, was arrested and charged.

Thompson is still facing trial in the Lethem Magistrates’ Court for allegedly being in possession of four automatic rifles,  389 rounds 7.62×39 calibre ammunition and six M-16 rifles along with two magazines and 74 matching rounds, and two shrapnel hand grenades. Seelall said Thompson was no longer cooperating with investigators about the arms and ammo bust.

Other items found in early October raid were one Icon VHF radio set, one Icon hand-held radio set and one roll of camouflage material.

King is a cousin of  Ricardo ‘Fatman’ Rodrigues who was gunned down at the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMRSC) on October 15,2012. Prior to his brutal demise, he had surrendered to police for questioning in connection with the arms and ammunition find.

Rodrigues was a close associate of convicted Guyanese drug lord, Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan who is imprisoned in the United States.