Personal bodyguard to Opposition Leader Robert Corbin, Cyrus Boyce was released on $50,000 station bail yesterday and Corbin, in a letter to Acting Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene expressed concern over the man’s arrest, his interrogation and threats issued to him.
Only the PNCR has made public the man’s arrest and so far the police have not made any information public regarding the case. However this newspaper was informed by a source late yesterday that Cyrus was released on $50,000 bail. Corbin also confirmed the release.
In his letter to the Top Cop prior to the release, Corbin said Boyce was told that as of yesterday, ”The GDF interrogators will begin to ‘deal with him fully‘, both at CID Headquarters and elsewhere, as he has a long time to spend with them .”
Corbin told Greene that this latter threat coming after serious and credible allegations of torture of arrested persons by members of the Guyana Defence Force must arouse suspicions about the motive for the arrest and the future safety and welfare of Boyce.
Corbin, in the letter, also stated that he visited Boyce at the Alberttown Police Station on Thursday night and was advised that he was not yet questioned by the police about the offence he is alleged to have committed, neither was he given any details of that offence.
“Instead he had been questioned about, among other things, his friendship with (the late) Ronald Waddell and whether he has replaced him as controller of criminal gangs; his knowledge of arms and ammunition allegedly owned by the PNCR and their location; details of his daily activities as personal security of the Leader of the PNCR and their location…,” the letter stated.
According to Corbin, Boyce was also questioned about his whereabouts during the Lusignan and Bartica massacres.
He further told the commissioner that he was bringing the matter to his attention since he was concerned that if someone was arrested they ought to have been provided with the details of the offence which they have allegedly committed.
He also told Greene that he held him and the Police Force accountable for the man’s safety and protection and to ensure too that he is not tortured and that due process is followed in accordance with the laws of Guyana.
Boyce, the PNCR had said, was picked up by joint services ranks following the cordoning off of his Better Hope, East Coast Demerara home at 2 am on Thursday. The statement also said that the man’s house was searched by eight ranks, allegedly for arms and ammunition but nothing was found.
The statement added that 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 on Thursday. 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 that day for the reason for the detention and was told by an officer at CID that he 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.
