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The police overstepped their mark

Jul 11, 2018 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The Police Commissioner must explain why it is, two security guards operating on private premises were detained overnight based on an allegation that the men pointed a gun at a sitting Minister of government.
According to a report in yesterday’s Kaieteur News, video footage of the incident does not support this allegation. In fact, it may even establish that the security guards were the victims rather than the villains.
It just goes to show that in a country like Guyana how the weak and powerless can be easily punished because of the influence and reputation of the powerful. Imagine if there were no video footage what would have resulted. The two security guards would not only probably still be in jail, but they would probably have been hauled by now before the courts and, who knows, since a gun was alleged to have been involved, denied bail.
Imagine the trauma that their families had to go through, knowing that they were not released on bail but were detained overnight. Why could they not have been placed on bail? Why? Is it because of the status of the person making the allegation?
The police have to act at the behest of citizens and not as agents of the powerful in our society. Poor people also have rights. They should be treated fairly.
It was unfair that before the truthfulness of the allegations against the men was established that they should have been detained. The action of the police in detaining the men was excessive and unwarranted.
Calls have been made for action to be taken by the President. The President cannot act until the facts of the matter are determined after an examination of the versions of all sides to the story, including that of any possible eyewitnesses. And that is for the police to do.
The Guyanese people, however, have learnt not to be too optimistic when it comes to the complaints against top government officials. A staffer of the Ministry of the Presidency was alleged to have made racial slurs in 2017. An investigation was said to have been done and no malice was said to have been established. But even before the findings of the investigation were made public, the person alleged to have made the offensive remarks was rewarded by being allowed to accompany the President overseas.
The investigation found that there was no malice. In the present case, if the allegations made against the men are disproved, then what is the basis for the allegations? Was it malice or mischief or both?
Do not expect any action from the government. As far as the government is concerned this matter has nothing to do with any ethical conduct on the part of any government official. It is a criminal allegation which should be dealt with by the police. The government is simply going to sidestep this matter.
As for the police, they will not say anything either. The matter will die a natural death, unless it can be established that the allegations against the men are truthful, in which instance the men will face the full brunt of the law.
This is Guyana for you; a place where the poor can be trampled upon by the police and where influence and power reigns supreme.

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