Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton further remanded into police custody, Cyril Bovell, the father of now dead wanted man Neil Bovell when he made his first appearance before her at the Wales Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
In his first court appearance before Magistrate Fazil Azeez at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court on a rape charge, he was remanded to police custody and the matter transferred to the Wales court.
He is charged with rape committed by his son in September 2005 and the charge reads that the elder Bovell knowing that Neil Bovell had carnal knowledge of a woman in September 2005, did on Wednesday, December 27, 2006 receive, relieve, comfort and assist the said Neil Bovell.
His attorney, Glen Hanoman in a bail application yesterday told the court that his client was prepared to lodge his passport and pay substantial bail if allowed his pre-trial liberty. He declared that the charge was bad and said that “it leaves a lot to be desired”.
Police Prosecutor Ramsahoye Rambajue informed the court that police investigations were completed but objected to bail on the grounds that the elder Bovell was a flight risk. He informed the court that the elder Bovell had a valid United States visa and that police investigations revealed that he had planned to leave the country on December 28, the day after Neil Bovell was caught.
Hanoman, however, countered that the elder Bovell had made the arrangements long before and at that time he was never under any police investigation and was travelling for treatment as he had done before but “unfortunately for him the police are claiming that they killed his son”. He declared that the DPP had over-extended herself, saying that the charge left a lot to be desired. Hanoman stated that when Neil Bovell had committed the act in September 2005 the elder Bovell was abroad and he is being charged with providing comfort and relief a year after the act. He reiterated that the charge was nothing but a publicity stunt by the police and questioned why his client was charged with rape as the circumstances which would have provided for him to be charged with substantive rape, in accordance with section 26 of the Criminal law (Offences) Act which deals with accessory after the fact, were not in place. He stated again that Neil Bovell was found dead in someone else’s yard and “they police want to play they are so powerful that they went and shot a dead man”. He stated that the elder Bovell was the reason that Neil Bovell was imprisoned two times for over two years and “he was terrified by his own son”. An example he said was when Neil Bovell had broken household articles and all the windows in his father’s house and “some of the police in this district know that”.
He slammed the police who in a Kaieteur News article yesterday said that his efforts were “pathetic” and said that the police were trying to capitalize on the situation that had embarrassed them for many years and maybe were looking to get a reward. He said that the elder Bovell had many times informed the police of Neil Bovell’s whereabouts but the police would refuse to come and as a result he went to the Ministry of Home Affairs to see the then minister, Ronald Gajraj but was unsuccessful following which he was then referred to Freedom House where he saw the minister who referred him to the police but after no action was taken he got “fed up”. He declared that “we ought not to use their inefficiencies to keep this man in custody” and stated that he was going to do a through investigation of the matter and was in the process of taking statements from villagers. He further questioned why the man in whose yard Neil Bovell was found was not charged with anything.
He again pleaded for bail to be granted saying that his client was ill and because of his advanced age. He stated that he had documents to prove that his client usually sought treatment abroad and showed it to the magistrate who informed him that the documents were from 2001. He stated that it would take at least a week to provide updated documents but the magistrate informed him that she knows “what goes on in this country” saying also “your name is Hanoman”. He said that they were prepared to lodge the elder Bovell’s passport but the magistrate informed him that “in this country you can leave without a passport”.
She then informed him that bail was refused and the passport and visa would have to be produced for the court.
Hanoman then pleaded that if bail was to be refused Bovell be remanded into police custody as a result of his health and advanced age. The magistrate agreed and remanded him into police custody and ordered that he be brought back to court next Thursday at the Wales Magistrate’s Court. (Gaulbert Sutherland)
