The two police ranks who tortured a teenaged boy at the Leonora Police Station in 2009 during a murder investigation were recently promoted.
According to the police’s list of promotions issued earlier this month, Narine Lall was promoted from sergeant to inspector while Mohanram Dolai was promoted from constable to corporal. In November 2009, the duo had appeared in court charged with burning the genitals of a 15-year-old boy with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him grievous bodily harm. The criminal case against them was subsequently dismissed in the Magistrate’s Court because the boy and other witnesses failed to turn up.
However, in 2011, following the filing of a civil action, Justice Roxane George found the ranks liable and after describing the case as constituting torture, awarded the teenager $6.5 million which the State eventually paid. An investigation by the police’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) had found that the two policemen injured and tortured the teen boy by pouring methylated spirits on his genital area and setting it alight. The Ministry of Home Affairs had also publicly acknowledged that the teen had been tortured.
The boy had been represented by attorney and leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan and yesterday, he said that Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee and acting Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud need to explain how it is that the two police ranks could be promoted. Informed by Stabroek News of the ranks’ recent promotions, Ramjattan said Guyanese should demand an explanation from Rohee and Persaud. He said that he was surprised at the promotions in view of the fact that the officers were found liable.
“Justice George did find them civilly liable, meaning that they were liable for the heinous act,” Ramjattan asserted. He said that while he would generally want to “give our policemen second chances” the fact that it was “a despicable and disgraceful act, they should in no way have been in the Force [much less] being promoted.”
“This [the promotion] smacks of total ridiculousness, the Guyanese public is being ridiculed, it is utterly ridiculous,” Ramjattan declared.
In November 2009, Dolai and Lall were charged with burning the genitals of the then teen with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him grievous bodily harm. They were also charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Nouravie Wilfred. The duo along with Corporal Oswald Foo were also charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Deonarine Rafick, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him grievous bodily harm.
The offences were committed shortly after the teen, Wilfred and Rafick were arrested by police in connection with the murder of former Region Three vice-chairman Ramenauth Bisram. The teen was stripped and beaten before his genitals were burnt.
The case drew international condemnation but the case against Dolai and Lall was dismissed in the magistrate’s court because the teen and other witnesses did not show up to testify. The dismissal came although the Ministry of Home Affairs had acknowledged that the teenage boy was tortured and expressed regret.
At the time Dolai and Lall were interdicted from duty for their role in the torture of the teenage boy. They remained in the employ of the Guyana Police Force but were off duty and received half-pay. Foo was also interdicted for his role in the treatment of Rafick.
Since then nothing else was heard of a reported investigation into an allegation that the victims were paid to stay away from court. It is not clear when the ranks resumed duty.
Persaud, who was Crime Chief at the time, had said that it would have taken some time before the three interdicted ranks found out what their future with the force would be since the process was a long one. He had explained that the internal inquiry (which would investigate the breaches in the conduct of their duties and impose an appropriate punishment) had to go through a process.
Following the OPR report, police surgeon Dr Mahendra Chand, who the report said treated the injured teen following the torture, was disciplined for his part in the incident. Several others, including the then ‘D’ Division Commander Paulette Morrison, were disciplined. Morrison was demoted and transferred. She has since retired from the Force.
