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OPR completes probe into strip-search report

Mar 05, 2017 News

The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) has completed investigations into an allegation of strip- searching a French Citizen against a police rank.
Confirming this was a source from OPR, who disclosed that the file has been sent to Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, for advice.
Guyana-born French citizen Kenneth Anthony Benn claimed that he was humiliated when a police rank stripped-searched him during an immigration search at Moleson Creek.
According to him, this happened on November 20, 2016 while he was making his way to board the ferry to Suriname en route to French Guiana, where he has been living for two decades.
Benn said he was ordered by a plain clothes police rank to remove his underwear and perform squats during the search done in a room, where he was told to empty his suitcase.
“He didn’t even identify himself to me. But I could recognize him if I see him again. He just lifted up the suitcase and turned it over. When he finished searching the suitcase he asked me if I was ever charged for any offence.”
The man said he replied in the negative and told the rank he came to Guyana to visit his grandmother.
He said the rank patted him down and insisted that he remove his pants and underwear.
He said that he complied with the instructions and was then told to squat twice before given permission to repack his suitcase and leave.
“He found nothing illegal on me.”
He said he is still trying to come to grips with what happened and said that he was searched without adequate justification.
“I have travelled all over the world and this has never happened to me. Is this something normal for immigration in Guyana? I felt very uncomfortable with him (the rank) in that room.”
“I’m not looking for a problem with police in Guyana. I just want them to stop doing this.”
Benn added that he is sure other passengers have been subjected to these kinds of search and is calling on them to speak out.
“I’m trying to highlight this. I want that rank to be disciplined.”
Subsequent to the incident, Benn said he reported it to the Moleson Creek Police Outpost.
When contacted yesterday, Benn said that it is very pleasing to hear that the matter is now engaging the attention of the Crime Chief.

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