Opposition motion seeks top cop’s commitment to address police excesses

Mar 11, 2022 News

– urges beefing up of investigation, retraining of ranks

Kaieteur News – Saying it has been unable to get the Commissioner of Police to act, the opposition has submitted a motion to Parliament, which calls on the police chief to take all necessary steps, inclusive of investigations and retraining, to ensure all members of the Guyana Police Force respect the human and legal rights of citizens, with special reference to arrest, detention, and fair and equal treatment before the law.”
Tabled by MP, Geeta Chandan-Edmond and seconded by MP Shurwayne Holder the motion was submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly on March 7. Among other things Chandan-Edmond’s motion stated that the Opposition has received numerous complaints from citizens across Guyana about some members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) abusing their power and acting in a discriminatory manner. It further said that the alleged misconduct involves ranks maliciously detaining citizens without reasonable cause or suspicion for up to 72 hours along with arresting and releasing persons in a manner that victimizes the poor and the powerless.

Opposition Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Geeta Chandan-Edmond

Back in February Chandan-Edmond at a PNCR news conference had raised the issue of alleged police excesses. She said then that during a series of party outreaches it had received numerous complaints by citizens against members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) abusing their power to wrongfully detain persons. Chandan-Edmond, who is also general secretary of the PNCR explained that during outreaches in Regions Four, Seven and 10, citizens complained bitterly of being wrongfully detained by the Police for 72 hours, without reasonable suspicion of them committing a crime. “In Bartica, cases have been identified where the police are operating as a law unto themselves. They are violating the rights of the citizens of Bartica by locking them up for 72 hours in cases where the law does not apply,” the former Magistrate argued. In another instance, she said it is alleged that two persons were taken to the Sparendaam police station for wounding each other and while one of the suspects was released, the other was held as the Police indicated it was their prerogative to do so.
According to her, “The family of one of the accused complained that the police set free one of the accused and kept the other in the lock-ups and proceeded to indicate that it was the police prerogative to do so. This is a clear case of police discrimination and abuse of power”. The Shadow Home Affairs Minister went on to state that complaints have also been received that “poor people” were being harassed and incarcerated by the Police at the behest of the “rich and powerful”.
A similar situation she noted was observed in Linden where residents there also complained of discrimination and abuse by Police officers. “Many Lindeners, the PNCR and the wider Guyanese population are concerned that the rule of law is not being upheld and as a nation we are returning to the lawless state of affairs that existed between 1992 and 2015,” Chandan-Edmond noted. Even more alarming, the party’s General Secretary said that it has been observed that the regions in which the Police abuse is taking place are areas that were won by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) parties. In this regard, she argued, “If one adds to that, that the installed PPP/C regime has been trumping-up charges and incarcerating their political opponents in total violation of the law, it can be easily concluded that it is the lawlessness that is practiced by the Ali/Jagdeo regime that has created the conditions for the said discrimination and abuse of power”.
Signaling that the PNCR will not sit by idly, she said then a letter was dispatched to the Commissioner of Police for an urgent meeting to address these concerns. Chandan-Edmond added that it is the administration to be blamed. “We also lay the blame for these indiscretions squarely at the feet of the government which itself has violated the law and created the conditions for the rogue elements in the police force to do the same,” the Chandan-Edmond who is also Shadow Minister of Home Affairs contended. In this regard, she called on the PPP/C to restore the investigative capacity of the criminal investigation department, by returning those who were trained to investigate and solve crimes to the said department. She was adamant that doing otherwise would suggest that the government has little or no interest in solving and reducing crime.

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