Some offences should not carry any bail

Dec 25, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

It is ludicrous that bail was granted to the two persons accused of kidnapping and burning a 17 year old teenage boy with hot water on his face and back. What is so dreadful is the fact that these two accused men are police officers sworn to uphold the Law and to serve and protect the public. The victim, Ashkay Budhiram, who appeared in court with clearly visible and terrible burns and other marks of violence on his body, is testimony that these two policemen were bent on maiming the young man. This is strong evidence of an unspeakable crime and yet the magistrate granted bail to the two officers.
This vicious act of violence against the youth reminds us of the terrible pain and suffering 16-year-old Twyon Thomas endured a little over a decade ago when his genitals were burned by two policemen, Sergeant Narine Lall and Constable Mohanram Dulal who were questioning him in connection with murder of Bisram, a carpenter. Like Thomas, the two officers who tortured 17-year-old Ashkay Budhiram have not only violated his fundamental rights, but the abduction and kidnapping are an absolute and flagrant disregard for his constitutional and legal rights. It is wrong and they should be charged with attempted murder for such barbaric act.
As police officers, they have broken the cardinal rule when they decided to take the law into their own hands. And for them to be placed on such a small amount of bail is an insult to the public and all decent-minded officers in the force. While police beatings in Guyana have abated somewhat, I can relate directly to such dastardly acts by three policemen who handcuffed me, beat me during the 1970s and then slapped me with seven charges including assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, among others.
It is my sincere hope that Ashkay Budhiram would not accept any sum of money to settle this case, which is something very prevalent in Guyana. To do so would only allow such wanton behaviour to continue unabated. He should allow justice to take its course which could strengthen the sentiments expressed Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, to “jail them”. Indeed we echoed the same sentiments that those responsible should be jailed for inflicting such excessive cruelty on a teenager.

Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine,
New York

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