Miner locked up for heckling Minister
Robeson Benn hears: ‘Government will lose next general elections’
Public Works Minister
Robeson Benn
A 32-year-old gold miner is seeking redress after a government Minister had him locked up overnight for saying that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government will lose the next general elections.
The Georgetown resident, Andrew John Stone, said that he is taking legal action against Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn who reportedly ordered police officers from the Parika Police Station to have him tossed in the lock ups when he said that the PPP will be out of power for neglecting the people.
Stone told Kaieteur News that on Sunday afternoon he was at the Parika Stelling waiting for a boat to take him to Bartica when he noticed the Public Works Minister speaking to a group of people. He allegedly told the group, “Don’t listen to Benn; they are a bad government.”
He claimed that his next words were to the Minister, “Mr. Benn, the next elections ya’ll gone lose.” According to the North East La Penitence resident, Minister Benn then asked him “Why?” and he replied, “Cause ya’ll neglect ya’ll own people.”
Stone said that his comments were met with support from the people to whom the Minister was talking. “They started to cheer and encouraged me to continue speaking.”
Stone said he however left the area where the Minister was and joined a boat to Bartica, but within minutes of him being seated, Minister Benn turned up with two uniformed police officers.
Stone alleged that one of the officers said this boat can’t move. Benn then ordered the ranks to take him to the police station and lock him up. When the officers asked Minister Benn why, his reply was, “You hear what I say, I am the Minister lock him up,” Stone claimed.
Even after the officers asked Minister Benn to come to the station to make a report, he refused. “I am the Minister” the Minister allegedly said before driving off.
Andrew Stone holds
up his bail receipt
The North East La Penitence resident said he was taken into police custody around 14:00hours on Sunday and was not released until 15:00hours yesterday after being placed on $10,000 bail without being charged. He said that ranks at the Parika Police Station told him that he should return at 08:00hours today.
When asked about the charge, Stone said the officers could not tell him why he was detained, only that they were following orders.
Stone said that he is peeved over the situation and sees the Minister’s action as an abuse of power and he will not take the incident lying down.
He added that his right of freedom of speech has been violated, while the Minister’s conduct is a clear case of victimization. Stone said he will be meeting with his lawyer this morning.
Several calls to Minister Benn’s cell phone went unanswered. Up to press time last night, there was still no response to calls for the Minister.
Minister Benn attracted attention earlier this year for walking into the National Communications Network (NCN) studios and reportedly banning what he said were “libelous, abusive and slanderous” calypsos.
The Minister later clarified that he made a personal objection about one of the calypsos. This however resulted in NCN posting a notice that “no 2013 calypsos must be aired…by order of management.”