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More abuse of power…Police delete photos of ranks beating suspect

Mar 05, 2015 News

The advancement of technology is creating havoc for some police ranks who seem bent on violating the rights of citizens who capture their wrongdoings on camera.
Just one day after former Commissioner of Police Winston Felix reminded that it is illegal for the police to seize people’s camera, another citizen has come forward with an allegation that the police did just that.
Anita Ali, of Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara, had to engage the assistance of an attorney at law to retrieve a camera from the Sparendaam Police Station, after a relative had photographed the assault of her husband while he was being arrested by a party of policemen last Thursday.
But by the time she retrieved the camera, the images had all been deleted in an apparent move designed to eradicate any incriminating evidence of her husband’s assault at the hands of the arresting ranks.
The ranks were reportedly investigating an alleged break and enter and larceny.
The incident was brought to this newspaper’s attention by Attorney-at-law, Motie Singh, who is representing the woman’s husband, 26-year old cane cutter Fyouse Shakir, and who had accompanied the woman to the station to retrieve the camera.
When contacted, the woman related that on Thursday last at around 22:30 hours, she and her husband were aroused by a heavy knocking on their door. At the time their four children were asleep.
The woman said that when she opened her front door, she was confronted by two armed police ranks who pushed her aside and barged into her house.
“They say, ‘we ain’t come fuh you.’ And they went straight into the bedroom and start beating me husband. Dey cuff he and kick he up,” Ali said.
The police accused her husband of stealing a six-burner gas stove during a break and enter in the neighbourhood.
Ali said that her husband denied stealing the stove, but admitted to purchasing it from another villager.
The police, nevertheless, continued to beat Shakir and demanded that he put on his clothes to go with them to the station.
During this confrontation, one of Ali’s relatives took out a camera and began photographing the police actions. Of course, this greatly angered the ranks who chased after the relative and seized the camera despite her protestations.
“They push she into a wall and snatch de camera from she. Dey tell she dat she ain’t get no permission fuh tek out de police photograph,” ali recalled.
She said when another male relative requested that the police return the camera; he was told that he had to come to the police station to collect it.
The ranks eventually went away with Ali’s husband.
The following day, Ali and her uncle went to the Sparendaam Police station to collect the camera, but were told that they had to produce a receipt for the device in order to uplift it.
She contacted her attorney Motie Singh and when he contacted the police, he too was told that the owner of the camera had to produce a receipt.
Not deterred, the woman and Singh went back to the station on Tuesday last and were eventually given the camera.
“When we check de camera, all de photos delete,” ali stated.
“I don’t know why dey carry away de camera; dat ain’t had nothing to do with the story,” she added.
According to the woman, the police appear to be only interested in brutalising people and not  actually solving the crime.
She explained that while her husband is languishing in prison having been remanded by a magistrate, the person from whom he bought the stove is still walking around a free man.
Ali said that she contacted the police yesterday informing them of the suspect’s presence in the village and they refused to respond, claiming that they did not have a vehicle.
The woman was eventually invited to meet with a senior rank in the district after this newspaper contacted the Sparendaam police yesterday.

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