Cops demand money from residents, arrested after trying to return cash … now under close arrest
June 22, 2013, By KNews, Filed Under News, Source
In the midst of the numerous reported discrepancies about the sloppy and discredited work of the local police, come allegations that members of the Guyana Police Force have been repeatedly collecting sums of cash from residents for fabricated offences.
The house the police raided.
It was reported that on 21:30 hours on Wednesday, four ranks clothed in navy blue uniforms forced their way into a Herstelling, East Bank Demerara home and relieved the occupants of a sum of money on claims that they caught the occupants “smoking drugs”.
Satesh Lall, who occupies the house with his brothers, said that shortly after the armed policemen arrived at their residence, they barged into the house and pretended to be looking for something. Lall was then ordered out of the house with eight other young men, his brothers included, who had been “liming on the verandah”.
Janet, an eyewitness, living in an adjacent building said that after her husband approached the police requesting answers as to why the young men were held, he was told that in order for them to be released they would have to pay a stated sum of money, or else they would be seen on Court Round-up the following day.
Janet said that the police had initially requested $50,000 but eventually settled for $20,000 which was then accumulated by the men and other residents. Shortly after, they were freed.
Other concerned residents, after witnessing the entire event, alerted the relevant authorities by submitting compelling physical evidence of the incident. The superiors were reportedly convinced of the allegations and apparently took immediate action.
Janet reported that shortly after the police left, they returned to give back the money which they confiscated.
“After they could not find the boys, they come to us to give back the money and tell us not to tell anyone that they took money”. Reports are that the ranks frantically circled the area several times that night and once on Thursday morning in search of the young men but were unable to find them.
One concerned resident described the matter as “a police culture in Herstelling”. The man said the incident had occurred in the community several times in the past but was never reported. He said that it is the norm of police, regardless of their post, to show up at unsuspecting residents’ homes and demand that they report to the police station on fabricated charges.
In order to escape the charge, the man explained that the people would have to fork out “bail money”, otherwise they are summoned to appear before the courts.
“These are not policemen, these are bandits in uniform!” the man emphatically stated. He said that the responsible ranks need to go to jail for what they did because “they themselves jail people innocently”.
It was reported that the ranks were arrested on Thursday while police gathered statements from the victims and eyewitnesses.
According to a well informed source, subsequent to a successful ID parade yesterday, the ranks were placed under close arrest at the Eve Leary headquarters pending further investigations.
