By Leonard GildarieA few weeks ago, I was sitting in the Kaieteur News editorial department when a story came in fromLeonard GildarieBerbice. It was evening. The story spoke of a suspicious death at Number 70 Village, East Berbice. It was initially treated as a hit-and-run,Jae Crowder Jersey, despite some evidence that carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt, 26, was beaten before his death.The update was swift. Faiyaz, a father of one, was concluded killed in a road accident. At least that is what the post mortem results suggested.But the family remained unconvinced. They were hearing rumours that the carpenter was killed on the orders of a powerful overseas-based businessman who was close friends with the police in Berbice.What has been coming out since then, thanks to a family that refused to back down and one dogged Kaieteur News reporter, is utterly shocking and should be fully investigated and condemned by all and sundry if it is proven in court to be true.We are not a wild-west state. We want to become a first world country. The challenges are daunting, but not impossible to surmount. The hurdles that we face are our own making.A team from the police’s Major Crimes Unit travelled to Berbice after family members insisted that they have no trust in the Berbice police in investigating the case.The family members came to the city and appealed for a team of investigators to be sent up.The unit that went up did what any police in the world should be doing…protect and serve.The actions were swift. And the story that came out has riveted Guyana.Several persons were arrested. Four men were charged.It was alleged that the carpenter had gone to the Number 70 Village home of a US-based Guyanese, Marcus Bisram, for a party. Present were members of the community policing group, it was reported.Bisram is well known for a charity work in Berbice and has donated to community policing and even to help students.While at that party, Narinedatt, a father of one, reportedly rejected the sexual advances of Bisram, who became incensed and ordered his people to beat him. The carpenter was dumped in a car and taken to the roadway where he was placed. He was run over to make it look like an accident.There were several persons at that party on October 31. Someone had to see something.A number of persons kept quiet.Following the arrests of several persons, the mother of Bisram and a relative, of one of the accused men who has since been charged, were arrested for allegedly offering a $4M bribe to investigators in the city to duck the matter.The two women have since been placed before the courts.The details that have since emerged are shocking.The police and members of the community policy group in Berbice have been very close to Bisram. This was evidenced from Facebook posts of Bisram himself.As a matter of fact, a few of the police ranks who were close to the initial investigations were even photographed being wined and dined in New York by the businessman.A few ranks even provide security for the businessman whenever he is visiting Guyana, taking him back and forth to the Timehri airport.This story, if proven true in the courts, will remain a dark stain on the police force in Berbice.The fact that police from the city had to journey to Berbice to launch a probe indicates a major breakdown in law and order and speaks volumes of the distrust among the people there.One cannot but think of the many reported incidents of crimes in the Ancient County where citizens have been crying out for police help. Where were the police ranks? We can’t stop all the crimes, but perception is important is this context.We have been spending millions to train police in dealing with domestic violence, the gathering of information and evidence, and prosecution. Yet we continue to be dogged by allegations of wrongdoing by cops.There are decent people in the police force who take pride in what they do, day in and day out.They revel in successes when a particular case is cracked.We have managed to solve a number of cold cases,Brent Seabrook Jersey, like the Babita Sarjou one, and there are news of others being brought to closure.What were the police doing all along in Berbice? Where does the buck stop and at whose feet?One cannot help but think that some level of corruption was involved and that the cover-ups were many.How often have we heard of cops in the hinterland turning a blind eye and allowing smugglers and others to slip through checkpoints?We are learning more about an airplane discovered stashed in bushes at Yupukari, Region Nine; that residents may have known for sometime of its presence. It took an inquiry to discover that a camp reportedly linked to some bad characters was located not far away.The report of the inquiry is now recommending that a special commit