Firing of witness to sex assault of minor…Did City Hall victimise rank who blew whistle on colleague?
Oct 19, 2017 , https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...histle-on-colleague/
Days after police arrested a city constable for engaging in a sex act with a minor, questions are being raised over the basis for firing his colleague who witnessed the incident and reported it.
Town Clerk, Royston King
On Tuesday, the Lance Corporal accused of forcing a detained 15-year-old boy into a sexual act was fired and arrested.
This occurred some hours after the Mayor and City Council dismissed him for “gross misconduct.”
At the same time, the City Constabulary Corporal who had witnessed the act has also been given marching orders.
A letter issued to him by Town Clerk, Royston King, stated that he was being dismissed for “dereliction of duty,” since he had not made a note of the incident in the occurrence book.
City Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green also told Kaieteur News that the Corporal had “failed to protect a juvenile,” since he had not intervened while witnessing his junior colleague’s actions.
But there are suggestions that the officer may have been fired for blowing the whistle on the junior rank.
There are reports that the culprit, who was implicated in a similar act, last year, had close ties with officials on the Georgetown M&CC.
The question being asked now, “Is why the officer was not dismissed two months ago, when the facts of his alleged ‘dereliction of duty’ were known?”
Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green had stated that she only became aware of the case after Kaieteur News exposed the issue in its “Dem Boys Seh” column.
But she refuted claims that there was a cover-up on the part of the council. Chase- Green said that it was she who had insisted on an investigation, after learning of the allegation.
She added that officials received “new information,” on the case, and this led to the dismissals.
She placed any blame for the delay of the investigation on the Chief Constable.
“It was not until I brought the matter to the Full Council, and gave the Chief Constable 24 hours to give a report or be sent home (that action was taken).”
In the statement he gave to a City Constable, the juvenile, of no fixed place of abode, said he was arrested on August 22, for loitering and placed on the prisoners’ bench at the Regent Street Enquiries Outpost at City Hall.
He alleged that around 23:00 hrs, a male constable took over, and about 02:30 hrs, the constable woke him and told him to lie on his back, which he did. Shortly after, the male rank told him to stand by the washroom.
Another rank then came in and requested a firearm, which the first rank handed over. The two men sat watching a movie for awhile. Eventually, the officer with the firearm left, while the other returned and unbuttoned the juvenile’s pants, placed a condom on the juvenile’s privates and let the teen have sex with him.
Mayor Chase-Green had confirmed that the same Lance Corporal was previously investigated for a similar act. She said he was placed on close arrest for seven days and a report was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The Mayor said that the accused was reinstated, however, after the DPP indicated that there was insufficient evidence to lay charges.
