Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine on Saturday said that bail ought to be a serious “deterrent to crime” and he criticised the judiciary for putting persons who should be on remand back on the streets.
“Four defendants who were charged with unlawful possession of arms and ammunition are out on bail. In three cases they were granted bail by the High Court and in one case a magistrate. This is something that should be known so that right-thinking people can be concerned,” he said during a press conference.
While informing that from October 1 to 21 ranks had seized ten illegal firearms, he said that it disturbs him that these persons are given bail by the courts.
In one of the four cases, Ramnarine informed, the accused was charged and granted bail but while on bail was arrested and charged with simple larceny. He was granted $50, 000 bail. “So he is out on bail for a serious crime and he is granted $50,000 bail for another serious crime the following month. Now he is a prime suspect. This is the troubling part of it… he is a prime suspect in the robbery/murder of a Brazilian in the interior. He is in custody and a firearm was used,” he said adding that this granting of bail to such persons is something for all to be alarmed and concerned about.
“How can we be so insensitive in our dispensation of the granting of bail?” he said before questioning the success of the gun amnesty last year. He said that based on what is happening the criminals did not hand over their weapons.
“These criminals did not surrender their illegal firearms it is clear but are using them to terrorise and rob and kill people and the amount of bail granted in the court makes a mockery of how responsible people in authority should behave in these matters,” he stressed.
Ramnarine argued that the police were just one element of the criminal justice system and would do its “level best”.
However, he said that he cannot answer and I will not take responsibility for the behaviour of other people who constitute and have a role to play in the other elements in the criminal justice system. I can only defend our actions in the police force and lay our side of the story in the public domain.”
Meanwhile, Ramnarine denied reports that he is selling firearm licences daily and is making millions of dollars. Those claims he said were made online but he did not identify the source or where they were published.
“I was not the one who granted firearm licences to a known drug trafficker who skipped the United States, came to this country and set up himself…he has dozens of firearm licences,” he said while informing that it was he who refused “to entertain an application from a relative of a known drug king pin who requested additional firearm licences.”
Ramnarine noted that since he took up the helm of the force he has refused many applications for licences and from licensed holders for upgrades to a 9mm weapon. “I got this feeling that everybody believes that a 9mm is the right thing to have now. You already have a .32 and you want a 9mm,” he said.
He said that he had carefully considered whatever he has granted, noting that he has had regular consultations with the subject minister on the issue and has been assured that his actions are “above board”. Ramnarine said that he would subject himself to an investigation if necessary. “Let’s launch an investigation starting this year…let’s launch it from the 1st July this year and then we will really get to know what has been the business of firearm licences,” he said.
