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An alarming number of petty offenders being remanded on a daily basis

Jan 23, 2011 News

With the Magistrates’ Courts sitting once, twice or every working day per week, one may be surprised to know the number of minor offenders that are being remanded.
These offences range from larceny to possession of one or two grams of marijuana to threatening language. The majority of these defendants most time appeared before the court unrepresented and half naked.
At the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court at least two petty lawbreakers are remanded every day. This persistent practice by the Magistrates is putting pressure on the main holding facility, ‘Camp Street Jail’.
At the Georgetown Prison, inmates on remand alone stand at a staggering figure— above 800 and with the penchant of Magistrates to remand persons, it is expected that the situation will continue to overwhelm prison authorities.
Just this week Patrick Shepherd, of Kwakwani, Berbice River, was denied bail after a small amount of marijuana was allegedly found in his home.
Police some time this week, purportedly found two marijuana seedlings planted among some tomato plants in Kenroy Rogers’s backyard. Despite the suspect being represented by an attorney he was however remanded.
A point to note is that ‘two’ marijuana plants were found, the accused is also a first time offender nevertheless the prosecutor objected to bail. On this very case no solid objection was put forward by the prosecution just the usual ‘my worship I request that the accused be remanded’.
Then over at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrates’ Court, West Demerara, Ivor Banlingy was also remanded after being brought before Magistrate Nyasha Williams-Hatmin.
He is accused of pilfering two gold chains from Dahanraj Seelochan on December 21.
Banlingy pleaded not guilty and was unrepresented.
Another unfortunate suspect was Eon Martin, who was found on January 15, with two grams of cocaine, he too was sent temporarily to the Camp Street Jail.
A man recently visited this publication seeking justice after being remanded wrongfully.
The ex-suspect claimed that after being placed in the lockups innocently for three months, during one of court appearance the women who reported that he stole her gold chain showed up and informed the Magistrate that she mistakenly identified him.
As a result he was allowed to go home a “free man’’.
The man, who only gave his name as Keith, related that after being released from jail, he is experiencing difficulties regaining his respect in society.
Keith questioned who will take responsibility to compensate him for defamation of his character.
Asif Mohamed and Marvin Liverpool also came in for an unfair share of injustice. The two were charged with offences ranging from robbery to escaping from lawful custody.
But the case took quite a twist when the prisoners alleged that they were brutalised by lawmen at the Kitty Police Station.
The police are claiming that on January 10, last, on Sheriff Street, Georgetown, the two along with another of their associate, Terry Morgan, choked and robbed Jamal Hearsammy.
Mohamed who sported a bandage on his forehead, with tears in his eyes recounted the events leading up to his arrest.
The alleged suspect added that he was driven to the Kitty Police Station and beaten with out any notification of the offence he had committed.
Despite their pleas they were remanded.
At present, the ratio at the main penal institution in the city stands at a massive 26 to one in terms of inmates to prison warders.
This ongoing occurrence is putting both the prison officers and detainees at a high risk of disease; it can also intimidate the prisons’ security.
In an interview with a senior Magistrate, it was confirmed that the magisterial body has no control over the situation.
The Magistrate blamed the incompetence of investigating ranks, who fall short in proving their case at a timely manner.

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