Tuesday February 04, 2014
Kaieteur News
Page 21
Teen faces court for Charlestown family laments police abuse Pegasus taxi driver murder - harassed every time some police have to ‘throw box hand’ June Collins and O’Riely Small display their torn tops after being assaulted by police
With recent reports of excessive force being used by members of the Guyana Police Force a Ketley Street, Charlestown, Georgetown family is lamenting the abuse, corruption and brutality of the police. This peaked on Sunday as a police mobile patrol assaulted O’Rieley Small and his relatives after he allegedly refused to give a bribe to the police who claimed he was wanted in connection with a criminal act. “The police come to beg me for money and just because I said me ain’t got no money to give them, they start telling me about murder and dem thing, and they just keep holding me and telling me about charges and carrying me to the station to harass me,” Small said. His aunt, June Collins, said only Wednesday last he was released from police custody. “Last Sunday he went to the Brickdam Station with his mother to find out what is wrong and the police said he is wanted for a Murder. They hold him for 72 hours then they loose him. “This thing happening several weeks now, every Sunday they always harassing him and carrying him to the station and never saying what they really want him for,” she said “So (Sunday ) he and his friend was moving in a car and they stopped in front of we gate…The police pass again and start harassing he (Small) and when we say we going to the media the police hold me and grab me and rip my top and lash me with the gun and they assault he. This happening weeks now,” Ms
Collins said. She further explained that the police wanted to arrest O’Riely Small and when questions were asked to the police as to the reason why he was being arrested the “police said they don’t know and is the big ones that passing the orders .” Underscoring that the police proceeded to search Small and his friend’s vehicle, Ms Collins said the police found nothing and they were threatening to impound the man’s vehicle because nothing was found to arrest them both. “Then three vanloads of police come and tell O’Riely come to the station, and he tell them all the time they searching he and they ain’t tell he what he wanted for at the station. He said he sick and tired of the treatment and is best they kill he. “Then they start assaulting everybody and when they done they left.
They even throw down my niece with her child on the ground.” Ms Collins lamented. “They even brave enough to say we can go and make whatever report we want since nothing won’t come out of it, now I want to know if things does work so and police can do people what they want and get away with it. They keep doing these things every time they have to throw box hand.” Another relative noted that on one occasion the police upturned the home. “They harassing people and going through people panty drawers….they always coming with big guns and got the children dem running under the beds and scattering.” The family said reports of the assault were made at the Brickdam Police Station and Ruimveldt Police Stations. They are planning to make a complaint to the Police Complaints Authority and other relevant agencies.
A city teenager held for killing a Pegasus taxi driver and dumping his body in a heap of garbage was yesterday afternoon brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer a murder charge. Days after being charged with two carjacking charges, the 17-year-old accused was charged for the capital offence and was later remanded by Chief Magistrate Priya SewnarineBeharry. The teenager, whose court hearing was done in closed court, is accused of the December murder of taxi driver Rudranauth Jeeboo. The murder was said to have occurred at Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt Park some time between December 27 and December 28 last year. He was unrepresented by legal counsel. He was also told that he was not required to plead to the charge as it was deemed indictable. Inspector Michael Grant, who prosecuted his case, explained the details of the murder. He said that about 21:00 hours on December 27 Jeeboo left his Lot 25 Craig and Delph Avenue, Campbellville residence for work. The following day, the taxi driver’s body was reportedly discovered in a pile of garbage at Cane Avenue. Jeeboo’s body was reportedly found with several injuries about his body but the Prosecution did not specify what type of injuries the taxi driver sustained. According to Grant, when investigators checked the phone records of the deceased, it showed that his cellular phone which was stolen was still in use. It led them back to the teenager who was later taken into police custody. Inspector Grant emphasised that when the teenager was interrogated by the police he confessed that
Bodies of two fishermen found ... From page 20 yesterday saw the search party returning to the foreshore where the dreadful discovery was made. “We went back to the foreshore and we see this trunks (pants) in the water under some stuff and the other was not far from him under a bridge close to a koker,” related Chetram Persaud, a member of the search party. He disclosed that the search yesterday had started around 06:30 hours and ended about two hours later. “We have no idea if them drink because them left home
early the morning ...we don't know how to judge what happen, all we know them left to come pick up the seine and we never see them back,” said Persaud. He disclosed that during the search on Sunday it was observed that there was high tide and “water was pulling very hard; it was really rough.” Family members of Sijogie disclosed that his death represents the second in the family within a one-week period. According to the dead man's sister Maureen, who lives at Crane, West Coast Demerara, he has been working “at sea”
for the past two years but was home for a few days and decided to “help out” Bhagwandat. “Me feel so sorry fuh meh brother because me hear that he de trying to call me a few days ago and he didn't get on to me.” According to the sister who returned to Guyana about one week ago it has been a while since she last saw her brother. “I didn't see him and now to hear he dead; it is very sad,” she added tearfully. According to a Police statement issued yesterday investigations in to the men's deaths are continuing.
Dead: Rudranauth Jeeboo he and two others murdered the taxi driver, dumped his body and drove away with his car. He even took them to the spot where they dumped Jeeboo’s body, he prosecutor said. The man’s car was reportedly discovered about 10:30 hours on December 28, last, abandoned at a road in Tucville Terrace with no number plates. The teen was later charged with the offence. The 17-year-old who resides at Lot 4 Drysdale Street, Charlestown, was remanded in custody until his next court hearing which is scheduled for February 19 for report and fixtures. Last Friday, he was brought before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the said court to face charges for Robbery under Arms on account of two carjackings.
17-year-old murder accused On December 26, 2013 he reportedly brandished a broken glass bottle at High Street, Kingston, Georgetown when he allegedly relieved taxi driver Mervin Benjamin of his $2M Toyota Fielder motor car as well as his $10,000 Ice Mobile cellular phone and cash $8,000. However, he is jointly charged with a 16-year-old for the theft of a $1.5M Toyota Carina at Kingston, Georgetown on December 30, last. They reportedly attacked and rendered taxi driver Elijah Adams unconscious before robbing him of Colin Stewart’s car No. PKK2531. He is expected to return to court on February 12 when the matters will be continued.
Agri team briefs Essequibo rice farmers During a routine visit to Region Two, members of the Ministry of Agriculture, including Permanent Secretary George Jervis and Junior Minister of Agriculture, Ally Baksh held a briefing session with the staff of the Guyana Rice Development Board and members of the Guyana Rice Producers Association with the aim of educating staff to adopt a more ‘on the ground approach’ with Rice Farmers. Additionally, staff members were told to ensure that farmers are being made aware of the right approaches and options that are currently available to them regarding marketing. Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry, George Jervis, has said that although the Agriculture Ministry has availed free counsel representation for farmers, who are still being owed by rice millers, farmers are however, reluctant to challenge those rice millers through the courts out of fear of the rice millers refusing to
purchase their paddy. Jervis has also encouraged GRDB staff to have a fair deal with millers. He said Venezuela is a finite market. Minister Baksh said farmers need to be continually “Educated.” He said with the backlog of some120, 000 tons of paddy remaining in the system from previous crops, the possibility exists that there could possibly be problems with storage when harvesting commences later this month. Baksh admonished that while the market is not a problem, the price for paddy is a problem due to the fact that prices vary from crop to crop. The current spring crop will commence this month and some 300 acres are to be harvested. Meanwhile, affected farmers in the Lower Pomeroon River received a variety of young fruit plants to restart their cultivation. Farms were inundated under water in midJanuary.