Lawyer evicted from police station

Jan 05, 2009 News

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…prevented from accessing client

Attorney-at-Law Vic Puran is peeved at what he called a breach of the Constitution of Guyana by ranks at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary, whom he said evicted him from the station “upon instructions,” preventing him access to his client, Nymrod Singh, on Saturday evening.
Puran’s client was held in connection with a cocaine bust in Miami, where the illicit substance was found in nibbi furniture.

According to Puran, he was retained by the man’s wife, who trailed the police after they had arrested her husband and saw ‘them’ (police ranks) take the man into the CID Headquarters, after which she called Puran.
The lawyer related to this newspaper that, when he arrived at the station, he summoned the duty officer, a female Deputy Superintendent, who told him that Nymrod Singh had not arrived at that police station.
‘I called again, and she said that he was not at Eve Leary.”
According to Puran, he then went to the station and spoke with the sentry on duty at the time, who informed that he was free to inquire from the duty officer, who again said that Singh had not arrived as yet.
Puran said that he sought to clarify this information with Singh’s wife, who said that she saw the police take him through the back gate (the Narcotics branch, using the Rabbit Walk entrance). “So I went to the Narcotics branch, where I saw Mr. Nymrod Singh.”
Puran added that he was informed by an Inspector Torrington that Singh had already informed them that Puran was his attorney.
“I told Mr. Torrington that my client would only give a statement in my presence.”
Puran related that the inspector informed that he would have to wait a little while longer, given that the man had to be fingerprinted and photographed.
“Whilst waiting, the Officer in Charge, “Mr. Riddle,” told me that he had received instructions to put me (Puran) out of the compound immediately.”
The attorney said that the reason proffered was that he did not have permission from the duty officer to speak to Singh.
Puran related that he once again went back to the duty officer and requested permission to speak with his client, but was again met with, “I do not have Nymrod Singh in custody, nor am I aware that he is at Eve Leary.”
Puran added that he informed her that, “I just saw Nymrod Singh at Narcotics branch and I was told that I needed your permission (to speak with him).”
According to the attorney, it was at this point that the sentry on duty informed the duty officer that the Officer in Charge had instructed that he (Puran) be evicted from the premises immediately.
Puran is of the opinion that when the police arrest an individual, the law must be able to take its course.
He noted that the right to an attorney is enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana, which is the supreme law of the land. “They cannot lawfully arrest and then use unlawful means.”
He noted that Henry Greene has now been confirmed as Commissioner of Police, and, “This type of police behaviour is not one that he should be particularly proud of…What worries me is, at what level could the instruction have come from?”
The police, on Saturday, arrested Nymrod Singh, who was being sought in relation to the discovery of a quantity of cocaine in furniture shipped from Guyana to Miami.
This newspaper understands that Singh was arrested at around 15:05 hours, after arriving in Bartica and checking into the Platinum Hotel under the name Errol Daniels.
Singh, of New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, reportedly chartered a special boat for some $30,000 to go to Bartica, as opposed to using the regular speedboat service.
Reports state that people saw him at Parika and, suspecting that he was headed for Bartica, informed the police there.
Singh, on his arrest, told the police that he was heading for the interior, where he has a dredge.
On Friday last, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) issued a bulletin for Singh for questioning in connection with the Miami bust.
Reports are that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Miami discovered 373 pounds of cocaine hidden in furniture in a container at the Port of Miami, Monday.
CBP officers inspecting containers at the Miami seaport were alerted by a CBP dog to a specific container loaded with furniture.
The officers attached to the Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team proceeded to examine the furniture, and discovered three packages concealed within one of the pieces of furniture.
One of the packages was tested by the officers and the substance was positive for cocaine. The total furniture count was 72, which concealed 194 packages of cocaine.
The container with the furniture arrived in Miami two Fridays ago aboard the freighter M/V Rio Para.
The container was moved to the CBP facility for examination and was opened last Monday. The vessel’s last port of call was Guyana.

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