Dear Editor,
I pen this letter in a vain effort to put certain incidents occurring at Homestretch Avenue and at the East Ruimveldt Police Station in which I was involved on Wednesday 31st October 2007 in proper perspective.
From the National Communi-cation Network’s 6.00 o’clock television newscast aired on the said Wednesday the 31st October 2007 read by a Ms Natasha Waldron the nation was told that after being stopped during a police traffic exercise and told of certain minor breaches to wit an obscured number plate, speeding and excessive tinting I was told to go to the East La Penitence Police Station.
The words that followed her brief narrative in essence were that at the station “Bond behaved in a disorderly manner and left.”
The Kaieteur News in its Thursday edition carried a headline on its front page relative to the said incidents which read, “Lawyer escapes from lawful custody”. At page two their story which featured a photograph of yours truly stated materially that “while his matter was being processed Bond jumped into his vehicle PKK 6167 and left.”
The word that immediately came to mind when I was confronted with these pieces of gross misinformation is decadence, it may not be the proper adjective but it somehow stuck in my mind. To refute these preposterous assertions by these media houses I will state:
Categorically, at no time did I behave in a disorderly manner at Homestretch Avenue or at the Ruimveldt Police Station, this can be attested to by Sgt Anderson, Woman Inspector Hutson and W/Cpl Bakes who was the S/O in charge of the Enquiries office.
East Ruimveldt is a Police Station that every criminal lawyer who has female clients would have to visit and I have done so and my interaction with the ranks present whoever they may be has been nothing but cordial, nothing changed that day.
Categorically, at no time was my matter being processed: none of the ranks at the station knew what I was there for and if I may elucidate they were not told what I was at the station for and they did not ask what I was there for.
If processing had begun at least they would have had my home address and not Lot 5 Avenue of the Republic and Robb Street on their summons which happens to be where my office is situated. To further push the anvil when I called the East Ruimveldt Police Station to ascertain who could have been so vicious as to bait these amateurish reporters whoever they are with such misinformation I was told by Ms. Hutson that all they have is a diary entry that I was at the station on Wednesday the 31st of October 2007. Without an iota of doubt that entry was made after I had left the Police Station on my feet in plain view of Capt. Bakes and another female Constable seated behind the enquiries and as a matter of fact I announced my departure for all who were present to hear me before going to my car parked fifty feet away and taking over forty-five seconds to reverse onto the driveway and drive out of the Station Compound.
Categorically, I was never in police custody lawfully or otherwise at the East La Penitence Police Station and it follows I never escaped. I was never told I was being arrested for any of my breaches noticed by the ranks on Homestretch Avenue on Wednesday 31st October 2007, what I did receive however was a promise not to prosecute.
Indeed, I was stopped at Homestretch Avenue and told that I had committed certain breaches viz speeding ( a speed gun was shown to me with 39 mph on its face), that my tint was not 65% and that my number plate which happens to have translucent gel numbers on a black background had to have white numbers instead. I was told to park behind a minibus and hold on. I then asked the rank if things could be expedited quickly as I had to be in court and with the volume of vehicles I would have a long wait before I was told whether I would be charged or not. I gave him my licence and when he saw my name he then left and showed same to Mr Trotz (who I have known for over three years) who was in charge of the exercise. Mr Trotz then said “yes that is Senior Counsel Mr Bond”. He then came over and I said to him “Mr Trotz I am late for Court could you see how fast you could deal with me.” He said “Mr Bond you see all these media people here I can’t send you away, just go to the station and then you could leave.” I was the only vehicle that left followed by a police patrol vehicle. At the station a Constable Ragubhir (he is also stationed at East la Penitence Police station) came out of the patrol vehicle and said over to you Cpl Bakes.
I said to Mr Ragubhir “over to Cpl Bakes, did you not hear when Mr Trotz said that after coming to the station I could go”. He said he was not around. I then proceeded to call a Senior Superintendent of Police who asked to speak with Sgt. Anderson and upon receiving Mr Trotz’ cell number he assured me he would call Mr Trotz and have him inform the station if indeed he had told me to leave. Inspector Hutson also made attempts to call Mr Trotz on my behalf. About a half of an hour had elapsed when a rank of mixed race came to the Police Station (I was standing at the entrance) he said.
“You’re counsel”?
I replied “yes, Mr Trotz sent you”
He replied “yes”
I then asked, “So can I go now?”
He said, “Yes”.
It was then that I proceeded into the Enquiries Office and told Cpl. Bakes in particular that Mr Trotz had sent someone and I called to Ms Hutson that I had gotten through and I was leaving. I got no response from her so I asked Cpl. Bakes to relay the message. I then walked to my car and calmly left the station. The rank who had brought the information was still there, also Cpl. Bakes and the other female rank who was in the enquiries office all saw me leave. I then called the Senior Superintendent of Police thanking him for making the call to Mr Trotz.
Even if Mr Trotz and his ranks were to deny that I was told to leave they cannot deny the fact that none of them wanted to arrest or charge me. It was never expressed or implied, but as I write these lines I am looking at three summonses as requiring my attendance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday the 5th November 2007.
To say that the media houses were irresponsible in their portrayal of Wednesday’s debacle is tap on their wrists. They were callous and cruel to me and my family. I have suffered great embarrassment at their hands. I have also lost some of my most valued clientele in Demerara and Berbice since I was portrayed by the NCN and the Kaieteur News as a young professional who has no respect for authority, law or order and not fit to stand in the Courts of justice as an Attorney-at-Law.
In the coming days I would undoubtedly be seeking my just recompense in the bosom of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature.
Yours faithfully,
James A. Bond
Attorney-at-Law
