Berbice police did not handle complaint by AFC supporters properly
By Stabroek Letters | Monday, October 24, 2011.
Dear Editor,
I am an AFC supporter—the decision to join the AFC was taken after I carefully looked at the performances of the ruling dictatorship of the PPP/C and decided that I will do my utmost to end the dominance of the masses, of which I am a part, by just a few very self-elevating persons.
One of the things listed on the Action Plan of the AFC is to have the Guyana Police force professionalized—-now that may mean a lot of things but I would like to address the issue of the “professional” behaviour of the members of the police force.
One change that this government made to the constitution, nope, not to remove the Executive power of the President, as they had promised, is to have a person or persons detained for up to 72 hours (up from 24 hours) pending investigation. The 72 hours story is for another occasion. Now, as it is, they seem to love the idea of having someone locked up and they say—-“we are investigating the matter”. What irks me is that they sometimes hold persons for no reason at all and they then release them and say –“you will hear from us”. In addition, they beat the daylights out of persons and have them sign statements that could destroy their lives, and no one seems interested in stopping it. Even after complaints are filed.
These funny police were called today (October 21), by a group of AFC supporters, who were preparing for a public meeting, at No 19 village, Corentyne—just about four miles from New Amsterdam. The AFC members went to Central Police station at New Amsterdam and waited for about one hour to have the patrol meet with them. A report was made of a man threatening one of the workers with a piece of wood and defacing promotional materials that the AFC had placed. Two hours later and no police showed. The AFC members went back to No 19 and there they were confronted by another man who was very abusive and so I went over to No 19 myself. Well I was given a full dose of the same type of abuse and the very man, who is an overseer with the region, told me he was going for a gun to finish me off—-he left on a motorcycle. I called the New Amsterdam police and it took almost one hour before a patrol showed up. Wow, relief!!!
The policemen were very vigilant and in a few minutes they came back with one man who was identified as the man who destroyed and defaced the posters and also the man who threatened the member with a piece of wood. They could not find the man who threatened me. The man was taken to Central Police station and within a 45-minute period he was back at number 19 village to tell us that –“ah we dis ah rule”.
This is the professionalized policing we have in this country. No statement was taken from any of us, no confrontation was held and the man, who committed such a serious crime was back in our midst to torment us further, within an hour. I wonder if Commander Merai knows about this? Why do you give the PPP/C so much police attention and almost ignore the people of the AFC?
I would like to make this statement as boldly as it can be made but with the greatest of sincerity, and I will speak for all the AFC members in regions 5 and 6 in particular—-we do not destroy or deface any party’s promotional materials. I am not saying that the members in other regions do that but we have a pact in Berbice to play a clean game and so I can vouch for the Berbicians because I am amongst them every day. That is also because we will take Berbice from the PPP and we do not have to play dirty to do it.
The idea of losing Berbice is very frightening to the PPP and so they have their thugs and propaganda machine working overtime.
Look at the ads they are running with Moses Nagamootoo speaking at their meetings. Those are old ads from the last election. They (on NCN) keep saying that we do not get people at our meetings but they know that we do and so it is gut wrenching for them.
The latest was where they showed people attending a meeting at Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder and they said thousands braved the rain—-and when they showed the crowd it was bright and sunny—-they really are trying very hard.
Go AFC go—-the taking of the reins of power is just a little over a month away.
Yours faithfully,
Charrandass Persaud
By Stabroek Letters | Monday, October 24, 2011.
Dear Editor,
I am an AFC supporter—the decision to join the AFC was taken after I carefully looked at the performances of the ruling dictatorship of the PPP/C and decided that I will do my utmost to end the dominance of the masses, of which I am a part, by just a few very self-elevating persons.
One of the things listed on the Action Plan of the AFC is to have the Guyana Police force professionalized—-now that may mean a lot of things but I would like to address the issue of the “professional” behaviour of the members of the police force.
One change that this government made to the constitution, nope, not to remove the Executive power of the President, as they had promised, is to have a person or persons detained for up to 72 hours (up from 24 hours) pending investigation. The 72 hours story is for another occasion. Now, as it is, they seem to love the idea of having someone locked up and they say—-“we are investigating the matter”. What irks me is that they sometimes hold persons for no reason at all and they then release them and say –“you will hear from us”. In addition, they beat the daylights out of persons and have them sign statements that could destroy their lives, and no one seems interested in stopping it. Even after complaints are filed.
These funny police were called today (October 21), by a group of AFC supporters, who were preparing for a public meeting, at No 19 village, Corentyne—just about four miles from New Amsterdam. The AFC members went to Central Police station at New Amsterdam and waited for about one hour to have the patrol meet with them. A report was made of a man threatening one of the workers with a piece of wood and defacing promotional materials that the AFC had placed. Two hours later and no police showed. The AFC members went back to No 19 and there they were confronted by another man who was very abusive and so I went over to No 19 myself. Well I was given a full dose of the same type of abuse and the very man, who is an overseer with the region, told me he was going for a gun to finish me off—-he left on a motorcycle. I called the New Amsterdam police and it took almost one hour before a patrol showed up. Wow, relief!!!
The policemen were very vigilant and in a few minutes they came back with one man who was identified as the man who destroyed and defaced the posters and also the man who threatened the member with a piece of wood. They could not find the man who threatened me. The man was taken to Central Police station and within a 45-minute period he was back at number 19 village to tell us that –“ah we dis ah rule”.
This is the professionalized policing we have in this country. No statement was taken from any of us, no confrontation was held and the man, who committed such a serious crime was back in our midst to torment us further, within an hour. I wonder if Commander Merai knows about this? Why do you give the PPP/C so much police attention and almost ignore the people of the AFC?
I would like to make this statement as boldly as it can be made but with the greatest of sincerity, and I will speak for all the AFC members in regions 5 and 6 in particular—-we do not destroy or deface any party’s promotional materials. I am not saying that the members in other regions do that but we have a pact in Berbice to play a clean game and so I can vouch for the Berbicians because I am amongst them every day. That is also because we will take Berbice from the PPP and we do not have to play dirty to do it.
The idea of losing Berbice is very frightening to the PPP and so they have their thugs and propaganda machine working overtime.
Look at the ads they are running with Moses Nagamootoo speaking at their meetings. Those are old ads from the last election. They (on NCN) keep saying that we do not get people at our meetings but they know that we do and so it is gut wrenching for them.
The latest was where they showed people attending a meeting at Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder and they said thousands braved the rain—-and when they showed the crowd it was bright and sunny—-they really are trying very hard.
Go AFC go—-the taking of the reins of power is just a little over a month away.
Yours faithfully,
Charrandass Persaud
