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Video-taping interviews with suspects could prevent torture
– AFC Chairman
Alliance For Change (AFC) co-leader Khemraj Ramjattan believes that law enforcement officers should make video recordings of their interrogations, to ensure that persons in custody are not subjected to brutality.
And he believes that this practice will also protect law enforcement ranks from false claims of misconduct.
Police in the US often provide video and audio recordings of interrogations of adult and juvenile prisoners.
“There must be transparency in the interrogation process. With the availability of technology today, video recordings of interrogations would also be there if the accused are making false allegations,” Ramjattan told Kaieteur News last Friday.
AFC Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan
The Parliamentarian’s comment comes in the wake of two senior prison officers being charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of prisoner Edwin Niles.
Niles succumbed last July from burns he allegedly sustained while being questioned about ammunition that was found on his person.
Both the PNC and AFC have condemned the alleged torture of Niles and other suspects. Ramjattan and PNCR executive member Aubrey Norton indicated that they will make strong statements about the issue when Parliament reconvenes.
Ramjattan said that he is happy that the investigation into Niles’s death is now complete, and that charges have been initiated.
“What it reveals is indeed serious wrong-doing was committed by persons who ought to be keeping law and order foremost in their minds,” he said.
“If they (the PNC) would be raising it, then we would speak on it also, and make strong statements of condemnation against torture, especially by law enforcement officers.
“We would also ask that there be reforms, to ensure that these occurrences are negligible.”
He also lamented the fact that the ‘torture report’ on the alleged abuse of suspects by members of the Guyana Defence Force is still to be released.
“These are not documents which should be held in secret…there is need for public accountability of our law enforcement officers.”
During a press conference on Friday, PNC executive member Aubrey Norton alleged that two officers from the Military Investigations Department had been implicated in the report.
He also said that the PNCR would release the names of the officers if the relevant officials continued to withhold the findings of the report.
Norton charged that the Administration is reluctant to release the report because it fingers members of the army who are reportedly close to the Administration.
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