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NDC councillor “manhandled” by a security guard after being expelled
Independent Councillor attached to the Port Mourant Neighbourhood Democratic Council Orin Mc Dougal has filed a report at the Whim Police Station against a security guard who he said “manhandled” him during a five-minute break from the council meeting on Thursday.
The alleged assault.
The alleged assault.
Kaieteur News understands that there was a unanimous decision by the council to have McDougal expelled from being a councillor. He was reportedly asked by the NDC Chairman Narine Sammy to remove himself from the meeting after 15 councillors voted to have him expelled.
McDougal reportedly refused to leave and the security guard was called in by Narine Sammy to have him escorted out the building.
It was at that point that a scuffle ensued between the two.
A 39-minute video recording seen by this publication showed the security being called in after McDougal refused to rise from the table and leave.
The security guard, however, tried to remove McDoogle’s belongings from the table and the councillor reacted by telling him not to touch his belongings. It was then that the security guard grabbed McDougal by his arm and tugged him from the table. He then wrapped his arms around the councillors neck, putting Mc Dougal in a choke-hold until he fell to the ground. The scuffle continued between the two on the ground for a few minutes in the presence of the NDC Chairman who did not intervene.
Speaking with the NDC Chairman via telephone on the matter, Narine confirmed that the incident took place at the NDC building in Port Mourant and also confirmed that a police report was filed by McDougal against the security guard. He stated that the security guard also made a report that McDougal assaulted him at the Whim Police Station.
When questioned on whether the action taken by the security guard was excessive, Narine Sammy said he believes that the actions of the guard was just “because he assaulted the guard first which caused the situation to escalate”.
Sammy said that the council came to a decision to have McDougal removed as a Councillor after his repeated attempts to sabotage the work of the council.
“From January to now he has always been behaving bad in the meeting, he would directly provoke persons and cross-talking. Right now, one month now he has been telling vendors not to pay revenue because it is illegal, he was warned twice and after he continued a report was filed at the Whim Police Station on Saturday against him and his actions. The police came here on Monday and Tuesday to take statements in that matter and yet again on Wednesday he continued with his actions and so based on his unacceptable behaviour as a councillor a motion was moved to have him expelled so that is the issue. He did not want to leave the building and the security was called in to have him escorted out, but he sat there and refused to move although the security repeatedly asked him without touching him.
The NDC Chairman said that after the scuffle the police from Whim Police Station was called in and McDougal was escorted out by the police.
A report was then filed at the station by both parties.
Meanwhile, McDougal has denied that he is trying to sabotage the council.
He stated that as an independent councillor, he made it his duty to listen to the people and many of those included vendors from the Port Mourant Market.
“What I did do was that I advised the vendors that if they were to pay revenue, this is what they will continue having and the only way for them to address your concerns is to withhold the revenue and they will address your concerns”, McDougal said he told the vendors.
He said his decision to give such an advice was not to sabotage the council but was rather to help the vendors to have their concerns heard. McDougal stressed that although the vendors are paying the revenue to the council the market itself is not being maintained to the standard that it should be.
He quoted a section under the landlord’s rental act that states “that at no time a landlord should deprive the renter of facilities once you are taking rent from that tenant”.
The Councillor said that because he highlights the many deficiencies of the NDC he was expelled from the council. McDougal has signalled intentions to follow through the matter against the security guard.
A senior police source has since confirmed that the matter is being investigated.
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