Cell phone theft highlights a corrupt society

Jul 13, 2011 Letters

Dear editor,
Is corruption evident everywhere in Guyana even in the police force and in GT&T? Well my son, who is currently a Sixth form student in Queen’s College, was threatened by an unlawful person to hand over his cellular phone after he was walking to take a bus on the Kitty Public Road after lessons.
This incident happened a couple of months ago. Immediately after that incident my son reported it to the nearby Kitty Police Station. Due to the lack of investigation in the matter it was laid to rest but I kept contacting the phone number, pleading to the person to hand over the phone or the SIM card due to the important contact numbers on it. It was unavailing. Even the reward I offered was futile.
On Sunday, an unknown person called from the lost phone number demanding to know what my telephone number was doing on his girlfriend phone. Well knowing it my son’s phone number, I attempted to know more about the person. Finally the person asked that whether I knew anything about his girl friend. I answered in the affirmative and persuaded him to come to Stewartville, West Coast Demerara.
The person with my son’s SIM card was at West Coast Berbice which was surprising. When he arrived at my area he was surrounded by a group of persons who knew about the incident and he was accompanied to the Leonora police station where my son’s SIM card was found on him.
I showed the policeman my receipt for my SIM card and my other documents to prove that the SIM card was mine. The policeman said that the man was the culprit and was guilty. The police did the necessary of me giving a statement and other reports. The man was locked up overnight and was released without even posting bail.
Two days after the release and the police had not contacted us, we went to get the update on the situation. We learnt that the person was released and that the police claimed to have called GT&T company to investigate the incident. They said that they learnt that two persons can get the same number and that the man had a receipt for the SIM card and that the SIM card is in the suspect’s name.
Believing that strange piece of information from the assistant superintendent and knowing that I had not seen any of these documents, why didn’t they contact me earlier? I went home and called the GT&T Company about my SIM card and they came up positive that the SIM card is in my name and that two persons cannot get the same number.
It was a disaster for me. Hearing that new information made me break down in tears. How could all my time go to waste just trying to get back my son’s phone?. Was it bribery take place at the Leonora Police Station or is it corruption at GT&T that they give the same number to another person.
I do wish for justice in this matter. I wish for an explanation from the police force or a better explanation. I intend to take it to a higher level.
Savita Christmah

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