Civil society group, Red Thread has called for the matter involving New York-based media personality, Ossie Rodgers, who was captured on CCTV assaulting a Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice woman on October 9th to be investigated and for justice to prevail.
Rodgers, who left the country following the incident, had said that he was provoked and that he was never detained by police as it relates to the report filed by the complainant, Kamala Devi Bharrat.
Commander of Region Five, Lonsdale Withrite had refuted Rodgers’ claims and insisted that he was detained by the police after which he was released on his own recognizance. The Commander had stressed that the matter remains open and active.
A police source on Tuesday said the matter was at a standstill as they were not able to get a statement from Rodgers following the incident. When contacted the source who is close to the investigation said, “Yes the matter is open but the man left the country before we can get a statement from him so right now that’s where we are…”
Red Thread in a letter in Stabroek News on Tuesday questioned, “the police are saying that the investigation is open and active, but what does that mean, when no statement was taken from the alleged assaulter who has already left the country?”
The organization said, that “We are tired of working class people being treated as though we don’t exist. We are citizens too and form the majority of the population. Assault is a criminal offence and should be treated as one regardless of who the perpetrator is.”
The group stressed that the law is there to protect citizens from harm, to get to the bottom of the matter, to operate with due process for all parties and to dispense justice fairly, “not to protect alleged wrongdoers in high places or with connections by ensuring an investigation does not even get off the ground.”
The group then called on the Guyana Police Force to act in the name of the law and let justice prevail. “Ms. Kamala Bharrat’s right to have her allegations of assault dealt with fairly should not be denied.”
The woman who Rodgers is accused of assaulting, Bharrat, 31, of Bath Settlement, had told Stabroek News, that she was at work at the supermarket located in Bath Settlement and operated by Chinese nationals, when Rodgers who was a customer entered. She said he was opening the fridge to take out some beers to purchase when she asked him to be careful how he opened the door which has an issue.
“I tell he my boss lady ain’t like when people open it like that and then by time that (happened) my boss lady called on him and tell him she ain’t want nobody open the door like that and he didn’t listen and turn around and then she had a stick in her hand and she tap it on his shoulder and told him and he and she start argue and he said how he ain’t leaving the supermarket how he is a big bai and he will call the police”, Bharrat said.
According to her, Rodgers purchased the beers and proceeded outside where he was hanging out with some friends while imbibing.
She said about one hour later she ventured outside to collect a mop and bucket to begin mopping the supermarket as they were preparing to close when Rodgers started to insult her.
“He say how that’s the work me got to do for the rest of my life, me got to wipe them Chiney people floor and me can’t do nothing more and me tell him that the incident you and boss lady had na done? That just leave it and done”, she said.
She said he then made a statement that annoyed her which prompted her to verbally respond to him and his friends who were also chiming in at this time.
“After me argue back with he, he said how he get one mind slap me and me just walk away and go in the supermarket and he start cuss and follow me and say how he gone slap me and when he come in the supermarket me continue argue with him and he rush over and slap me and me pick up one slippers and pelt him in his face”, she said. She said that she was then knocked in her head with an object.
She was taken to the Fort Wellington Police Station where she said she was treated as though she was the accused. “The police keep asking him if he’s okay and he tell them yes and he leave… And them asking me if I sure me want a problem and if me want court story and so and if me sure.”
When contacted on Tuesday Bharrat said she was “dealing with the matter.”
Bharrat, a single parent, has not returned to work since the incident.
