Opposition Leader Robert Corbin’s personal security guard was early yesterday morning arrested by police and is reportedly being held in a probe of murder and robbery under arms.
The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) in a press statement yesterday stated that Cyrus Boyce was picked up by joint services ranks following the cordoning off of his Better Hope, East Coast Demerara home at 2 am yesterday. The statement also said that the man’s house was searched by eight ranks, allegedly for arms and ammunition but nothing was found. Efforts by this newspaper to contact police on the party’s assertions proved futile.
However the statement said Boyce’s home was cordoned off by some 30 fully armed ranks and then he was invited to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters to aid the police in an investigation. It said that Boyce queried the reason for the invitation and indicated that if he was being invited to CID he would willingly report there at 8 am today [yesterday]. It added that Boyce was further informed that he was being arrested and the officer carrying out the arrest indicated that it was for robbery under arms.
Legal counsel for Boyce, the statement said, enquired later yesterday from an officer at CID who indicated that Boyce was arrested for murder and robbery under arms.
This incident comes closely on the heels of the arrest of the opposition leader’s chauffeur on Wednesday. He was arrested for using a loud speaker to drive around the city to announce the cost-of-living march. He was reportedly told by police that his arrest was for using a noisy instrument without permission. The man was later released on $5,000 bail.
The party said it does not view the two developments as unrelated. “Rather they are a clear indication of a campaign of harassment by the repressive PPP/C administration, designed to instill fear and terrorize supporters of the People’s National Congress Reform …,” the statement said.
It added that “Reports have also been received by the PNCR that (Wednesday) evening scores of young men were arrested indiscriminately in the West Ruimveldt, East La Penitence and Albouystown areas and placed in a truck and taken to an unknown destination without any explanation given by the Police for their arrests. The arrest of these of young men is similar to the exercise conducted last week Wednesday, May 7th, prior to the Cost-of-Living march on May 8th, when dozens of young men were also arrested and later released on Friday, May 9th without any charges being laid.”
