“I feel victimized, I am innocent of these allegations”- CID rank says -resigns from the force under pressure

Aug 09, 2019 News

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With several reports over the past two weeks alleging that a CID rank attached to the Reliance Police Station had reportedly planted an illegal substance in the yard of a Canje couple and that he escaped police custody, the said rank has come forward to tell his side of the story.
Constable Richard Persaud, who worked with the Guyana Police Force in the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for the past eight years has denied the allegations laid against him that he committed wrongdoing while on duty as an officer of the force.
Persaud said that what is taking place is an act of victimization. He explained that his troubles began when he was wrongfully accused by the now-suspended Crime Chief Lyndon Alves, of being a whistleblower, an allegation that he has denied from the inception despite certain sections of media labelling him as one.
He said, “I feel victimized since the last story with Mr Alves,” pointing to the new incident where he is accused of planting drugs in the yard of the couple.
According to Persaud, the couple is claiming that there is surveillance footage to show that he threw an object near the guard hut and shortly after picked up the object and claimed that it was drugs.
This, he said, is untrue. He stated that the footage could not show him picking up anything but it was the policeman who was with him who found the object. That policeman did not have on his name tag at the time.
Persaud said that he was heading from New Amsterdam to Canje to meet with the owner of the Superbet on the day when the alleged incident took place. But the visit was to uplift some documents from the businessman in relation to a matter that was reported by him February about some money that was stolen from the Superbet by an ex-employee.
“I went there to get some documents from the man. There was a matter under investigation, some money that was transferred from the Superbet when somebody use to work there. I go to collect documents from the man but another police accompany me there and we didn’t find anything.
“But Johnson apparently found something and they claim that it was me. He was the one who found the stuff. The camera could show who found the stuff and it was not me,” Persaud said.
He added that the rank who accompanied him asked him for a drop home and he agreed but told him he had to collect some documents from someone and the rank accompanied him. Persaud said that the Officer-in-Charge of Crime in Berbice had given instructions to have a report redone and have a file sent for advice on the matter with the missing money.
“That is what I went there for, to get the registration and so for the business. This matter was reported in February and I was transferred to Reliance in April. I did not handle that matter, another detective did. I was instructed to redo the matter and send the matter for advice”.
When asked if any drugs were planted at the location during his visit with the other rank, Persaud said, “Nobody placed drugs there; the people does have a lot of drugs people at the Superbet shop there because is a gambling spot but I don’t know. I can’t say whatever was found was what because it was not analyzed.”
He stated that he was reported and was called to provide a statement to the Officer-in-charge of Crime in Berbice and was subsequently placed on close arrest the said day. He said he was released and told to resume duty on Tuesday when he was taken to TSU in Georgetown and dumped in the lock-ups for four days.
Persaud added that during the time he was incarcerated, he was not questioned by anyone. “They just kept me locked up and then they put me on open arrest the Saturday and told me not to leave the compound or anything.
“I asked them if I can come home to get some clothes because is the one clothes I had on since they arrest me and they said no, so I just left and I submitted my resignation to TSU Monday”.
The CID rank said he feels suffocated and victimized because no-one cares to listen to his side.
“Nobody wants to listen to my side. Right now I am so stressed and people who are associated with me are shocked about these things, things that I didn’t do.
“I feel suffocated and no-one is hearing my side. I swear on my daughter’s life I did not put anything in dem people yard,” Persaud said while fighting back tears.
“I know to myself that I am innocent; I put that on my daughter’s head. I never had any disciplinary actions taken against me. What is being said that I was moved from 51 Station because of reports similar to that is not true.”
He is adamant that the suspended Crime Chief may be behind all the troubles he has attracted lately and is hoping that justice will be served and that he will be vindicated from the allegations made against him. He has since retained the services of an attorney.
Meanwhile, the acting Crime Chief along with the Crime Officer of B’ Division has since stated to reporters that they are unaware that Persaud has submitted a resignation letter to the force. Advice is still being sought in the matter.

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