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FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Charges against Broomes, bodyguard dismissed
F
ormer Youth Affairs Minister within the Ministry of the Presidency, Simona Broomes and her bodyguard, Dexter Austin appeared on Thursday before Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where several charges against them were dismissed. Magistrate Bess dismissed the charges against the duo, since the Police Prosecutor was unable to present the file in court. The Magistrate added that the case had been ongoing for the past eight months and there had been no progress. Austin and Broomes appeared in court in the latter part of August 2020, when they denied the charges of unlawful restraint, threatening language, and causing public terror along with assault, and
Simona Broomes
Dexter Austin with his firearm
were both released on self- bail. Austin was separately charged for discharging a firearm within 100 yards of a public space. On August 3, 2020, the former Minister and her bodyguard Austin went after two men who had removed a “no
fishing” sign from the parapet opposite her Lot 103 Lockoo Street, Lodge Housing Scheme, Georgetown home. This, however, led to an altercation and an exchange of words before the men entered their vehicle and left the scene. According to Broomes, there was a high-speed chase, but based on a video that was posted by the former Minister herself, that was not the case. As they followed the white motor car, Broomes was heard urging persons on the roadway to intercept the vehicle. However, the vehicle was finally intercepted in Sophia, where Broomes and some armed associates confronted the two men and assaulted them. It was here Austin allegedly discharged his loaded firearm.
Spare a prayer...
J
…for the Police ust the other day, your Eyewitness bemoaned the sad, continuing decline of the Guyana Police Force. As he said then, of course he accepts that not all the apples in that particular barrel are rotten, but there are enough of them around to overwhelm whatever good ones may exist. One bad apple and all that! Anyhow, one of the better apples - who just happens to be the Chaplain of the GPF - had to deliver a prayer (they didn’t say whether there were also Hindu and Muslim prayers) at the opening Ceremony of the GPF Annual Officers’ Conference. The fella took his task seriously, and fervently prayed for a full five minutes on what ailed the Force. He called for divine intervention to fix the same. One news outlet offered a sample of his homily: “……This day we lift the Guyana Police Force before you. And Father, today, if we are honest, we are elated to say that this Force is haemorrhaging right now. We stand in the gap and we confess the sins of this noble organisation. We confess every spirit of racism in this organization. We confess the spirit of corruption and bribery, we confess the spirit of injustice, and we declare, oh God, even now, above all, we confess the disunity and we pray, oh God, right now, that this Force is so fragmented that unless you help this Force, this Force will continue to be in trouble.” Well, well, well! Mout’ open and ‘tory jump out! Now, notice that, like your humble Eyewitness, the good Chaplain didn’t say that the “sins”, “racism”, “corruption”, “bribery”, “injustice”, and “disunity” he identified included the ENTIRE GPF, but that, in his estimation, they were prevalent enough to “trouble” the very survival of the “noble organisation”. But who told him to be so candid? Within days - just like that - he was yanked from his post as Chaplain and replaced! Presumably, his replacement wouldn’t hang the Force’s dirty linen in public for us, the ordinary citizens, to see! That reaction created quite a stir, however, and - lo and behold! - the good Chaplain was de-yanked before you could say “Holy Cow!!” So, what does all of this mean? Well, for one thing, that life still goes on after Megan (one name) told Oprah that some old sod in the British Royals inquired as to the possible shade of the son that Megan was then expecting. Megan, of course, was completely bowled over that ANYONE could possibly bring that up! Well, we can tell that our Police Top Brass also didn’t expect their Chaplain to spill his guts about the dark underbelly of the GPF (pun intended!) But will ANYTHING change? Don’t hold your breath. For neither Megan nor us and the Police! …for prayers Guyana is a multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-racial state, OK? Well, last night, one of those religions - Hinduism - celebrated one of their biggest festivals - Shivratri. They would’ve fasted all day and spent all night worshipping Lord Shiva, who is that aspect of the Divinity into which all will revert when the universe collapses upon itself eventually. Not to worry, all will reverse itself in a few billion years, and we would then be projected as a new creation. Very comforting, eh? We’re also in the midst of Lent, in which Christians are fasting for forty days before Easter - which commemorates Jesus’s ascension into Heaven after His Crucifixion. The 40 days and nights of fasting and prayers in the wilderness invoke Jesus’s preparation for His mission. In a month or so, Muslims will be starting to fast for Ramadan, and engage in intense prayers. With all those prayers, you’d think we would’ve covered all our bases, wouldn’t you? …for the Royals You’d be relieved to know that, in answer to accusations by Harry that some Royal person inquired about the colour of his then unborn son, his brother William assured us they’re “not a racist family”. Whew! Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com
