The police have launched an investigation into allegations by an Aishalton, Region 9 teacher that he was physically assaulted by an on-duty presidential guard last week.
However, the teacher, John Adams, says that it seems that the police want to discredit his report that it was a presidential guard who assaulted him telling him that it could have been “just a civilian” who was present at the rally being held by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Based on what Stabroek News was told, the president was in the region for a series of election campaign meetings. A number of Amerindian villages in the region have already been targeted.
Adams has said that he was assaulted by a member of President Donald Ramotar’s security detail after publicly criticizing the current administration at a meeting last Wednesday at which Ramotar was present. “They keep asking me if I am sure it was a presidential guard and how I know it wasn’t someone who just came to the rally,” Adams told Stabroek News yesterday.
The 27-year-old man said that while he knows that as part of routine questioning, the police would ask certain questions, the persistent emphasis on whether it might have been a rally attendee bothers him. “It seems to me like they are laying the work to say that it could have been anybody but I know and this whole village knows it was a presidential guard. You see his dress, shirt-jac and pants and by the President’s side when they came (and) he looks like all the rest,” he said “So tell me who would come all the way from Georgetown dressed in shirt-jac and pants like the rest just to hear the president speak? They think me stupid man but we have cellphones and internet. I read the news. We know things. I know a presidential guard from a stranger in the village,” he added.
Adams disclosed that he has submitted a medical detailing his injuries and an official statement to the police. He has also given a physical description of the guard to the police.
Detailing the assault, Adams had said that 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 high school teacher informed that a police detective who gave his name as Emerick Winter arrived in the Village yesterday on a two-day investigation into the incident. He said that the man has taken statements from several villagers and will return to Lethem to forward them to police headquarters for a decision on the way forward.
According to Adams, during the investigation another young man came forward and gave a statement that one of the guards also assaulted him with a torchlight and accused him of being Adams’ friend. He told Stabroek News that he is not confident about an investigation and said that his hopes are dwindling as police are yet to take a statement from the rank who returned to the city on Saturday with the President.
Contacted for a comment on Friday, Head of the Presidential Guard Unit Rohan Singh had said that he has seen information in the press but he has not been able to speak to the ranks then as they had 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.
Stabroek News understands that all the ranks have returned and are working on regular duty. It is unclear when the Presidential Guard Head’s investigation will begin.
