‘Torture cops’ promotion will blemish Guyana –Granger

Feb 14, 2015 News

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Opposition Leader, David Granger, says that torture, which is a crime against humanity, is being treated as though it is some minor traffic incident by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
That conviction was highlighted at a press conference held at his Hadfield Street Office yesterday. The recent promotions of two subordinate officers of the Guyana Police Force who were involved in the torture of a 14 year old boy in October 2009 are now being criticised.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Granger said is opposed to the collective efforts of the PPP/C Administration, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Guyana Police Force and the Police Service Commission (PSC) in those promotions.
He said that the Guyana Police Force published an order on January 2, indicating that Sergeant Narine Lall had been promoted to the rank of Inspector and Constable Mohanram Dolai had been promoted to the rank of Corporal. These two subordinate officers had been charged in court with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to the victim, Twyon Thomas.
Granger said that Thomas was arrested by the police following the murder of Ramenauth Bisram at his home in Canal No 2 Polder on the West Bank Demerara on October 26, 2009. He said that Bisram was the PPP/C’s former Vice-Chairman of the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Region.
The Opposition Leader said that Heralall Makanlall, Head of the Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility, investigated the crime and determined that the two policemen ‘tortured’ the victim by pouring methylated spirits on his genital area and setting it alight. Pictures of this incident had been highlighted in the media.
Granger added that Omesh Satyanand, Chairman of the PSC, had said, “We should not hold something against someone because they would have committed something wrong… even though you have served the time for it. I think the public should understand that. From our record, he (Lall) has been an outstanding policeman for over two decades and we have taken that into consideration.”
Also troubling, Granger said, was that Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, had acknowledged in 2009, that the teenage boy was tortured and he expressed regret.
The Opposition Leader said that Rohee is reported to have said, “It appears that the investigating ranks went to the outer limits permissible… From all indications, they crossed the line to physical coercion and instead of applying psychological pressure to the suspect, third-degree methods were used which in today’s context constitutes an inexcusable wrong doing.”
But apart from those comments by government officials, the APNU leader said that what is also significant to note, is what happened when the matter was before the courts.
He reminded that Justice Roxanne George, in a 36-page ruling handed down on June 17, 2011, found that Thomas’ fundamental rights had been violated and, after describing the case as constituting “torture,” awarded the victim $6.5 million.
Granger said that the civil matter was filed against the Attorney General of Guyana, the Commissioner of Police, Sergeant Narine Lall and Constable Mohanram Dulai. The Attorney General, was also ordered to pay $100,000 in costs while Lall and Dulai, were ordered to pay $75,000, each, in costs.
However, the APNU Leader said that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, issued a ‘Letter of Discontinuance’ which effectively terminated criminal proceedings against the persons suspected of murdering Ramenauth Bisram.
He reminded too, that the DPP also ordered that a charge of ‘felonious wounding’ (not torture) be brought against the policemen Narine Lall, Mohanram Dolai and Deryck Foo, to be disposed of summarily. The case was later dismissed.
Granger said that he would not accept the promotion of the two subordinate officers. He emphasized that the Government is a signatory to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and as such, is taken aback by the move to promote the officers. Torture, he said, is a ‘crime against humanity’ and torturers are “the common enemies of all mankind.”
APNU’s Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Winston Felix also expressed his displeasure over the matter. He is of the belief that the officers should have faced some form of departmental disciplining for their misconduct. The former Top Cop said that he feels the “government is complicit with torture.”
Felix said that he finds it very strange that the two policemen were promoted. He deduced that such a move could not have been coincidental, but rather purely inspired by the political powers that be.
The APNU Parliamentarian also told the media that he noted comments that Cabinet had approved the promotions of the officers. Cabinet should not be interfering in such matters, Felix said.
“This should never have happened because the establishment of the Police Service Commission (PSC) was to remove senior promotions from the hands of Commissioners and politicians. The police in the 60s complained of unfair treatment and as such, the commission was put in place to avoid just what is happening now,” he added.
Though he admitted that the APNU has some of its appointees on the PSC, he said that it did not endeavour to garner any information regarding what was considered to promote the “torture cops.”
Felix said that the members of the Commission belong to an independent body and the partnership has to be careful how it intervenes or seeks information from them while they fulfill their constitutional functions.
The government does not understand what it means to have independent commissions, he said, and it has “tightened its grip on the police force, and the force is complying.”
Granger then added that after the upcoming election, the coalition will be in a better position to correct this matter.
The matter, he opined, needs to be pursued to finality. He concluded that the case is one which has left an ugly scar on the reputation of Guyana.

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