John Adams, the Aishalton resident who was allegedly slapped by a presidential guard after he criticized President Donald Ramotar and his government during a meeting held in the Region Nine community, says he is not confident about an investigation.
The man’s hopes are dwindling as police are yet to take a statement from the rank who is apparently still a part of the president’s security detail, which is still in Region Nine. Based on what Stabroek News was told the president is in the region for a series of election campaign meetings. A number of Amerindian villages in the region have already been targeted.
Adams, 27, also denied reports in sections of the media that he was intoxicated when the alleged incident occurred or that he had fled to the home of a resident to seek refuge. He maintained that after being slapped he immediately went to the Aishalton Police Station to make a report. No rank was there at the time.
Contacted for a comment, Head of the Presidential Guard Unit Rohan Singh said he has seen information in the press but he has not been able to speak to the ranks as yet or interview them as they have not returned from the area.
He said in those circumstances he could not make a statement on the issue because he does not have information but when same is provided he would be happy to speak. “There is nothing new for me to say,” he stated making it clear he could not speak on an issue he does not have the facts on.
Singh also took issue with the report in Stabroek News and labelled information purportedly given by a presidential guard “nonsense,” while stating he has not yet been privy to any information—as the ranks are yet to return—and questioning how could someone else have that information.
Last evening Adams told Stabroek News that earlier in the day the Officer in Charge of the station invited him there to provide some additional details on the allegation and to give a description of the presidential guard.
He said he was not sure if the rank was still in the region, but based on what he knew, the security detail and the president had left for the next three eastern villages.
Adams said while he would like to see something come out of the matter, he is not confident. He said police only took a statement from him alone and have promised to investigate. “I don’t think that they will. My friends say the police are afraid to take action,” he said, adding that one of his friends was hit just above the eye with a torchlight. He claims a presidential guard was also the perpetrator in that instance.
“I would really like it to be investigated but I don’t know his name…,” he said.
Adams said he is still recovering from the assault, which occurred on Wednesday night.
Detailing the assault, Adams had said after he was finished speaking and was making his way through the crowd he felt a hand collar him from behind and when he swung around, he saw that it was one of the president’s guards.
“The man ask me ‘weh de other two that went with you’ and I told him I don’t know what he talking about it was just me. The man said I lying and as I continued to explain to him that it was just me speaking my mind he hand me one slap to the left side of my jaw,” he recalled.
“The slap numb my face and like I get dizzy because I can’t tell you how many other slaps I got after that if it was one or two or five…I start begging … I say, ‘Boss what wrong with you? Boss, ow boss,’ but he tell me I disrespectful,” Adams added.
The man said after the assault he ran home, escaping through the crowd and used his motorcycle to go to the police station to lodge a complaint. However, when he got there no one was there.
He believed he was targeted because he was outspoken about issues affecting residents in the community.
