Alleged victim of police harassment seeks Minister’s intervention

Mar 05, 2014 News

Expressing a total lack of trust in law enforcement officers, Ricky Ramdhani, a victim of alleged police harassment, intensified his call for justice as he picketed the Brickdam office of Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee yesterday.
The man, a father of five, of Lot 616 section ‘C’ Block Y, Grove, East Bank Demerara, had previously mounted a one-man protest outside, Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.

Ricky Ramdhani outside the Home Affairs Ministry yesterday

Ramdhani told this newspaper that he is protesting against police harassment and calling for justice, with regard to a matter which took place two years ago.
“This matter stemmed from an accident which occurred in 2012 involving my fifteen-year-old daughter and a senior Police Officer. My daughter was riding her bicycle along Grove Public Road when she got hit down by the officer who was driving a heavily-tinted white Toyota Allion. The policeman became angry at us because we refused to drop the allegations against him, but my daughter was seriously injured, she couldn’t walk for months… since then we have been targeted by the police.”
As Ramdhani listed his concerns, a man who identified himself as a police officer, walked up and offered his assistance.
“I ain’t want help from no police, because all they do is talk to me nice and then nothing happens. I continue to get harass, I was even threatened at the OPR (Office of Professional Responsibility) when I go to lodge my complaint.
“My life is at risk, “Ramdhani exclaimed as he recounted several incidences of assault and abuse, which he claims he suffered at the hands of members of the police force.
“My family is not safe, every time is something; I have five daughters. On one occasion the police came to my home and arrested my 11-year-old daughter, she was alone with the baby. They told her to put down the child and placed her in custody without informing her parents.”
“This harassment happens very often, police would stop my car for no reason and body-search me. A vehicle of officers came to my house one time to curse and threaten me, and another time, a police rank took a loaded firearm and put to my head after he arrested me and my wife. They keep us in custody for days. That issue was related to problems with me and my neighbour, who spent four months in jail and still continues to threaten me and family. The police are not doing anything to help us; they appear to be taking instructions from this senior rank. “

The injuries his daughter reportedly received in 2012.

Ramdhani says that he opted to call on the Minister of Home Affairs after failing at his attempts to gain assistance from who he thought were the “relevant authorities”.
“ It is overbearing, I went to Office of Professional Responsibility, at Brickdam, CID at Eve Leary and even protest, but is the same thing, they just talk to me nice but nothing is being done… all I getting is promises. The problem continues and I want help fast, because my family is in danger and we get threatened that we house will go up in flames. I am just an ordinary upholstery worker, we need proper assistance,” the man stated.