Cops blame civilian for false info on Adriana’s ‘abduction’-Pres. Ali

Cops blame civilian for false info on Adriana’s ‘abduction’—Pres. Ali

Apr 30, 2025 News

…but family recalled Commander Mandall, other ranks insisting they had footage of girl being taken away

Kaieteur News- President Irfaan Ali, on Monday evening, told the nation via a Facebook Live broadcast that it was a civilian working with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who was responsible for the release of false information claiming that 11-year-old Adriana Younge had been abducted.

The Commander of Regional Division #3, Assistant Commissioner of Police Khalid Mandall, was recently sent on administrative leave to facilitate an investigation into the death of the child, who was found in the swimming pool at the Double Day International Hotel, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

Cops blame civilian for false info on Adriana’s ‘abduction’---Pres. Ali

Dead, Adriana Younge

Adriana disappeared on the afternoon of April 23 while on a swimming outing at the Double Day Hotel. Despite searches of the pool and the premises, she was not located on Wednesday. That night, police issued a statement claiming they had reviewed footage showing the child leaving the hotel and being spirited away in a Raum motorcar.

However, in a dramatic turn of events following the discovery of Adriana’s body in the swimming pool at the Double Day Hotel, the Guyana Police Force stated that the initial statement on the child’s disappearance was inaccurate. Amid widespread public outrage over the police’s handling of the case, Mandall was initially transferred and then placed on administrative leave. Three other ranks were also placed under close arrest.

Following the release of Adriana’s post-mortem examination (PME) results on Monday evening that revealed she died by drowning, President Ali held a press conference to address the nation amid growing chaos and unrest. During the press engagement, he was asked what actions would be taken regarding the GPF’s handling of the case and the misinformation surrounding the claim that the child had been abducted. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had already called for the release of the footage police claimed to have.

Former Commander of Region Three, Senior Superintendent Khalid Mandall

For his part, President Ali disclosed that a civilian was responsible for the misinformation. He said, “I’ve asked for a full report on the report, the initial report of the car from what was provided to me in that control center, there was a civilian who was working also, and the civilian, because the control centers have civilians also, would have been the one who provided the information that was inaccurate. But after all of this, all of those information will be provided. But I just want to limit myself to what is before me today.” He also spoke about reforms for the GPF Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). According to reports, Adriana’s mother, Amecia Simon, and her aunt, Amika Lewis, had recounted their experience with Commander Mandall and his ranks on the evening Adriana went missing.

President Irfaan Ali as he addressed the nation on Monday night

Simon stated that when she arrived at the hotel, police were already on the scene, but her pleas for a thorough search of the building were ignored. She said an officer insisted her daughter was abducted, though they did not believe Adriana would leave the premises without notifying anyone. “I said, my child is right in there. I said, she wouldn’t leave this place. She’s right in there. Then he said they get footage that is showing that she left, she came out, and she left in a vehicle,” Simon stated.

Similarly, Adriana’s aunt said that several police officers, including Commander Mandall, repeatedly claimed they had video footage showing Adriana leaving the premises, but they never showed it to the family. “Mandall told me we have a video here. He has his phone in his hand. We have a video here showing that the girl left. So I said, show us the video up to now, Mandall never showed us that video, but was insisting that we clear the road and that we go home, because he has a video on his phone showing that she left,” she added.

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