Dear Editor,
On 7.2.09 four friends and I were hanging out at a famous hot spot in New Amsterdam. Around 22:30hrs we were having a few drinks when a police car came up and a senior officer (name supplied) came and proceeded to my car, smashed the bottles which were on the trunk and started to shout out for the driver of the car parked next to mine, which is owned by one of my friends. At this time there were over twenty other cars parked engaged in the same activity.
The senior officer ordered my friend’s arrest and subsequently took him away in a police vehicle. He was relieved of his car keys and his car was driven by a police officer to the station. I then proceeded to the police station with my other three friends, and we were told by the senior officer that we could not enter the police compound to make any enquiry or report until Monday (9.2.09). Legal help was sought but this was unsuccessful. About thirty minutes later, two other friends of mine exercising their rights as citizens approached the police enquiry desk seeking information about our friend; they were subsequently arrested and placed in the lockups! (What is the purpose of the police station?) By this time I was out of ideas. On the following day, 8.2.09, around 8.30 am, I was told that my friend, the owner of the car, had been placed on $25,000 bail for disorderly behavior.
An enquiry about my other two friends who were in a cell led to a police officer soliciting $5000 each for their release. On Monday my friend returned for his car and was told by the senior officer that he had been charged with having a “too heavy tint.” Editor, I am amazed. What offences have my friends committed to be treated as criminals? What’s up with the behaviour of the senior officer for trashing the bottles on my car? Where is justice? Who are the criminals and who are the police? And I thought Guyana was safe?
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Police Commissioner Mr Henry Greene for any comments he might wish to make.
