The Guyana Police Force has responded to an exclusive report published earlier this morning by the increasingly popular INews website, which claimed that Fiyad Sattaur, the 19-year-old son of Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Mr Khurshid Sattaur was chased by a police officer on Saturday.
The GPF, in a statement this afternoon, said that last Saturday, a Police Sergeant who is attached to the Traffic Department and was dressed in uniform, was driving a private car along Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, when she observed motor vehicle PRR 4423 overtake a line of other motor vehicles waiting at the traffic lights.
“The police rank made a note of the vehicle’s registration number intent on following up with prosecution, however, she caught up with the vehicle at the intersection of Lamaha and Albert Streets, where she drove up alongside and told the driver of the offence committed. He however drove away.”
According to the statement, the Police Traffic Sergeant drove behind PRR 4423 and caught up again with the vehicle at Lamaha and East Streets, where she came out and approached the driver whom she learnt to be Fiyad Sattaur of Ogle, East Coast Demerara.
“She again, told him of the offence committed and requested for him to go to Traffic Headquarters and he complied.”
According to the Police, at Traffic Headquarters Fiyad Sattaur was subsequently placed on self-bail. He has been charged with careless driving and is to appear in court tomorrow (Wednesday January 20, 2016).
However, INews was in receipt of an email statement by Fiyad Sattaur, late Sunday afternoon, under the headline: ‘My nightmare started at around 9am today 16th January 2016’
Following is the full, unedited statement received by INews, signed by Sattaur’s son, yesterday. It should be noted that INews contacted the Sattaurs around midnight last night, and were told to call back today.
******
On Jan 18, 2016, at 5:36 PM,
Subject: Re: My nightmare started at around 9am today 16th January, 2016
My nightmare started at around 9am today 16th January 2016. I was proceeding to the Islamic School on East Street, Georgetown to study Arabic Language. I was proceeding west on Campbell Avenue. As I approached Middleton Street I stopped at the intersection and observed a heavily tinted vehicle driving along Middleton Street turning onto Sandy Babb Street. The vehicle turned onto Sandy Babb Street, I proceeded to cross the intersection travelling in the same direction. When it was safe to do so I overtook the heavily tinted vehicle on Sandy Babb Street. I approached the intersection of Vlissengen Road and Sandy Babb Street without incident. This intersection allows for traffic to flow in three directions: left, straight and right. I was proceeding straight ahead into Thomas Lands. When the light changed I proceeded across the intersection onto Thomas lands. I observed shortly after entering Thomas Lands that the heavily tinted unmarked vehicle was driving dangerously and aggressively behind me and subsequently drove alongside my vehicle but did not proceed to overtake me
Sensing imminent danger I became extremely fearful and threatened. I was fearful of being shot, robbed, being run off the road, kidnapped or worse. Fearful for my life and safety I drove away from this heavily tinted unmarked vehicle. I was unable to contact anyone for help since I was alone in the vehicle and was unable to call for help. In my state of panic I was confused and thought the safest course of action was to drive to the Islamic School, Daraloom where I can take refuge and seek the protection of the elders there and make contact with my parents and the police. I therefore took a left turn at the corner of Thomas lands and Albert Street as I intended to enter into Lamaha Street. As I entered Lamaha Street, I continued to observe the same heavily tinted vehicle making attempts to come alongside my vehicle a maneuver I thought was designed to run me off the road.
I could not have seen the occupants of the vehicle because of the heavily tinted windows. Instinctively I drove towards the Daraloom where I thought I would be safe from the persons pursuing me and was hoping they would stop pursuing me only to observe that the car was continuing to pursue me.
I turned left into East Street as I tried to escape from my pursuers. The vehicle continued to drive in a dangerous manner behind me and fearing that I would be forced off the road into parked vehicles or pedestrians I decided to stop in the vicinity of the Hospital since it was a heavily populated area and I could run towards help and away from the occupants of the heavily tinted vehicle pursuing me. Upon stopping on East Street I observed the driver of the vehicle exited the vehicle and then realized the female driver who exited the vehicle was wearing a blue police uniform. She began shouting at me at the top of her voice. My fear and apprehension was somewhat alleviated. I followed the instructions of the person in police uniform to drive to the police station. I did not observe a police name tag and she did not identify herself to me. Deciding that the police station was the safest place to be at this point I complied with these instructions. She did not request to see my documents nor did she examine same at East Street but instead shouted at me to drive to the Eve Leary Police Station.
Had I not slowed down to seek assistance on East Street and did not later observe who it was that was pursuing me in such a dangerous manner in an unmarked and heavily tinted vehicle I would have continued to drive towards the Islamic School, Daraloom and perhaps it could ended tragically for either or both of us. She continued to accompany me in her heavily tinted vehicle. At the police station where I was detained for over 30 minutes I was told that I was charged for dangerous driving and would have to appear to answer the charge next week in the Magistrate court.
FIYAD SATTAUR
What a pitty he was not given the same judgment as was give to so many people, 400+
THAT COP SHOULD BE FIRED FOR LYING. WHERE IS THE POLYGRAPH WHEN IT IS NEEDED TO GET RID OF THESE ROTTEN EGGS IN THE FORCE.
We’re you there?
I experienced a similar incident a few months ago on the West Coast Dem road, a vehicle infront of me made a dangerous U turn so i came to a stop and put on my hazard lights to allow him to maneuver safely. The next thing I know a police officer in a heavily tinted private( not belonging to the Force) pull up along side me, I only recognized that it was a police officer because of this hat, he signals me to pull over, then calls me towards his car. He then asked me if i realized what I just did ( now it is my understanding that he is the one that is supposed to tell me what I did wrong, which was nothing) so I explained to him what happened, he then asks where I’m living so I told him. He then proceeds to ask me where I am working, now this is totally unacceptable so I asked him why he wanted to know that, at this point he told me to carry on.
He was looking some stupidee person to get some money out of.
The boy did nothing wrong,the police should not do things like that,the boy is a DIPLOMAT,TOURISTS,visiting our country. He is above the law just like so many of them,,,,LOL
What a coincidence that its sattaur family member. The police fiction made no mention of the unmarked vehicle that the officer was driving. What a pity she didn’t end up like the soldier spy.
The GPF will obviously come to the defence of this POLICE Officer who was definitely driving in a menacing manner that caused the young Sattaur to drive the way he did. This country has returned back to the days of Burnham Police State There are scores of policemen/women who deal with the public with aggression and disrespect as if they are the law instead of the upholders of the law. They abuse the power associated with the uniform to their advantage. This is well known so why the GPF is denying what actually occurred? Their response to the incident is a futile damage limitation exercise which will not be swallowed by the public.
GUYANESE!!!! GET UP! STAND UP! STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHT, DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!
Overtaking a line of vehicles is a daily occurence and in THE PRESENCE OF ON DUTY TRAFFIC RANKS, Lamaha St going west towards Camp Street, Middle Street going west to Camp St are two of many examples. .. the GPF should look at all the major intersections and clear these of taxis and vendors instead of following People. The officer had the vehicle number… simply go to LRO with the number, get the registrant information and request him/her to report to Eve Leary. She did not do this. The GPF Traffice has become impotent
First the heavily tinted vehicle was travelling at ninety degrees to the direction in which his vehicle was going, then after it turned into Sandybabb Street it was in front of him and he was able to overtake it. It seems clear to me that he was not being followed. The account given by the police is credible because if they were following him they should have been behind him from the beginning not only after he had overtaken them. The guy has too much sense for his own good. He wants to play for public sympathy and at the same time justify running from the police.Furthermore the police officer was right to open her mouth on him because he is a spoilt rich brat who has no discipline and is seemingly accustomed to doing as he likes.
Who is telling the truth, Sattaur’s son or the police? This should be simple.There must be witnesses out there who can come forward and speak the truth or present footage taken by cell phones or by surveillance cameras on private homes or business(es) along the route where this incident took place. The GPF needs to present the footage from theirs CCTV cameras situated at the traffic lights along the route also from Camp Ayanagana on Thomas Road.
Where was the police going in the first place? The police witnessed and noted PRR4423 overtook the vehicles at at the traffic lights. Did this warrants her going so far behind him when she could have find out the owner and press the appropriate charge? Was it a coincident for her to go in the same direction where Sattaur’s son was going? Her car was highly tinted. Did it had a siren to indicate that she want him to stop?
Put aside the overtaking of the vehicles, last year Seelall Persaud advised that no one should stop under those circumstances.
This kind of behaviour by the police is Harassment and it needs to stop.
Police should conduct themselves in a more professional manner and must use commonsense and wisdom.
That’s a diabolic and dangerous little boy and he really need to retract his fictiious allegation.The Police’s statement is clear so what’s the big deal? The PPP and their cabals are doing this to gain political mileage…I am tired of them and their nonsense. If he was placed on self bail for a traffic violation why does he has to blow it out of proportion and lied? Let him speak the truth
Police Force denies Sattaur’s son was ‘chased’ – INews report based on written account provide by Fiyad Sattaur
Police will lie throught their teeth —
Inews watch it –your media is getting a lot of attention now, so be vigilant..
You guys must never lapse in knowing its PNC you dealing with.
See how PNC tame KN and SN –they both are like bible people now where they can’t utter their trash on PNC no matter what PNC does wrong
They cannot be trusted a lot of them in the force are thieves
Of course they would deny it
GPF in denial:
A civilian vehicle cannot be intercepted by a police in a unmarked vehicle. Police can chase and intercept a suspicious vehicle only in uniform and police vehicle, This is a case of violation of civilian right by the police officer.