The accusations in a recent article did not originate from me

Jul 26, 2019 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

It would be remiss of me not to clarify many aspects of an article in your 24th July 2019 edition of the Kaieteur News under the headline “City Constable accused of collusion with criminals”. Let me say from the outset that such accusations did not originate from me, and I am quite surprised that the article was written in that fashion.
Here is what transpired: – The incident occurred just after 7pm on Thursday 11th July, 2019 on Regent Street outside of Bhena’s Footwear. After snatching my cellphone, the thief fell off his bicycle then got up and started running east along Regent Street, leaving the bicycle behind.
At the time he was in company of an accomplice on another bicycle, and this individual made a left turn and escaped north on Camp Street. The thief was pursued and caught when he made a right turn into Alexander Street, and ran into a yard, with the cellphone in his possession.
By then a female City Constable who happened to be in the vicinity had joined the chase, and the young man was escorted to the Bourda Constabulary Outpost. He was booked by the Lance Corporal on duty, and the cellphone and bicycle were lodged.
A search was carried out on his person and no documents or other articles were found. A statement was taken from me, after which the Lance Corporal informed me that the young man would be transferred to the City Constabulary Head Office located at City Hall compound, and I must make enquiries there the next day for an update on the matter. That was the Bourda Constabulary’s involvement in the matter as far as I know.

The following day I visited the Constabulary Headquarters and indeed the young man was in custody there. The Sergeant (or Inspector) on duty explained to me that their prosecutor did not have any matters set for court that day, but efforts would be made to have the matter heard in another court. That did not happen.
On Saturday I visited once again and a female Sergeant informed me that they had placed the young man on bail, but he couldn’t afford to post his bail money and therefore would remain in custody until his matter was called in court on Monday or Tuesday.
On Monday morning I returned expecting to hear that the matter was scheduled for the Magistrate’s Court during the day, but the same female Sergeant then informed me that the young man was a juvenile, he was 17 years of age, and therefore the Child Care and Protection Agency (CPA), would be taking charge of the matter.
Sometime between 2pm and 3pm on the said Monday, 15th July, I received a telephone call at my place of work from the CPA and was asked how I wished to proceed with the matter. Without hesitation, I replied that I wished for the matter to go to its fullest extent as provided for under the Law. The person promised they would get on back to me, but never did.
The following day I once again visited the Constabulary Headquarters, and, to my surprise, they informed me that I must uplift my cellphone. Upon further enquiries I was told that the CPA had released the young man from custody and a file would be sent to the DPP so the next time he committed such acts he would be dealt with.
That explanation most certainly perplexed me, so I proceeded to the CPA’s Probation Department to seek clarification. There I spoke with a female staffer (name given), who said the person who dealt with the matter (another female staffer – name provided) was attending a one-day workshop. However, she listened to what I had to say and promised she would seek an explanation from that colleague then call me on my cellphone before the day was done.
By now, the pattern of failed promises was multiplying, the call never came. The following day, Wednesday 17th July, I once more visited the Probation Department to see either of the ladies, but this time the receptionist told me that both were engaged in meetings, and she did not know when they will be available to see me. How convenient.
Editor, I have not returned to the CPA’s Probation Department since that day, neither have these public officers seen it fit to call me and offer any explanation or justification for releasing another young criminal back into society, without being held accountable for the crime he committed.
Thanks to a slack justice system, and empowered by complicit public officials, this miscreant is probably back on the streets snatching cellphones and jewellery from unsuspecting citizens. It is anyone’s guess what he will graduate to eventually.
Yours sincerely,
S. Sarius

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mr. Sarius’s concluding assertion that the miscreant is/has been empowered by complicit public officials, runs counter to his claim of having been misunderstood in the article with which he has an issue.

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