Social activist Mark Benschop said he was attacked outside Kwame McCoy’s Diamond, East Bank Demerara home where he had gone to take pictures yesterday morning, but police have since detained him on a charge of damage to property.
Benschop was being held at Brickdam Police Station without bail up to press time last night and his attorney Christopher Ram was denied access to him. Prior to his detention, Benschop called this newspaper to report that he was being victimized when he was “the victim”.
Benschop decried the justice system in the country saying that his report of damage to his vehicle and items being carted off were not treated with any urgency by the authorities, in addition to his statement that McCoy pulled a gun on him.
The fracas between Benschop and McCoy erupted after persons in the Diamond area telephoned McCoy just after 9 am to say that Benschop was at his home with a group of men. Benschop insists that he was only there taking pictures to show how “money is being spent on mansions for people like McCoy”.
However, McCoy told reporters that Benschop and at least three other men turned up at his home and illegally entered the premises. McCoy’s home is under construction and according to him Benschop and his group broke a window.
When Stabroek News arrived at the scene yesterday morning Benschop was fuming over the damage to his vehicle. His clothes were soiled with mud and his arms bore several bruises, many of which were bleeding. He explained that his messy appearance was the result of him fleeing the area to escape McCoy and a group of men all brandishing guns.
Tight-lipped residents in the area would not offer any details though one woman said she picked up Benschop’s slippers which were left in her yard and later placed them in his vehicle.
A young man loudly declared that he has been living in Diamond for some eight years now but he had “never see suh much drama yet”.
Benschop’s truck, which was left outside McCoy’s home after he fled the area, was badly smashed – all of the windows and windscreens were broken – and according to Benschop cash and several items including important personal documents have been stolen. Benschop told reporters that his presence at the home was no secret since he was there taking pictures of the house. “I want people to see where their money going… Look at his mansion he building here,” he said.
Benschop said he was taking pictures and videoing the home when McCoy turned up at the scene and attacked him. He said McCoy pulled a gun before attempting to take his camera, and at least three other men who were with McCoy pulled guns forcing him to flee the area and leave his vehicle and personal documents behind.
He reported that his passport was among the items stolen, in addition to a lap top computer and a digital camera.
He said too that his son’s documents were also in the vehicle and were taken. Further, a total of $250,000, which was to cover salaries for his staff this month, was stolen.
Benschop played a short video for reporters from his camera which captured McCoy advancing towards him, but the footage ended a few seconds after.
“People threatened me, pulled guns on me and the police are more concerned about Kwame McCoy and some window, which he said I broke… I wouldn’t come here and break a window, all I needed was a shot of the house to show taxpayers where their money going,” Benschop said. He recalled taking pictures of the President’s home at Sparendaam without any problems. “This is not off limits stuff because he lives here. Who is Kwame McCoy?” he asked.
An agitated McCoy questioned why reporters on the scene were not filming his broken window and when approached for a comment, he said he was informed of Benschop’s presence at his house by someone in the area. He said Benschop and a gang were there with cameras and bottles and had entered his premises illegally.
“I don’t know anything about window screens and breakage of any vehicle,” McCoy said, stating that no one at his home at the time attacked Benschop. McCoy said the issue has nothing to do with photographs.
Police later arrived on the scene and escorted both McCoy and Benschop to the Grove Police Station and took statements. The matter was then transferred to the authorities at Brickdam police station.
Benschop was later accompanied to the hospital for a medical examination and on his return to Brickdam he was detained.
