The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) says that contrary to the claims made by Junior Minister of Natural Resources Simona Broomes that she was threatened, with a firearm, by security officers attached to the Massy Store at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), the CCTV footage that captured the incident found her culpable of public mischief.
“The PPP calls for the Junior Minister to be investigated and sanctioned for creating public mischief. No one is above the law, least of all the Junior Minister… Simona Broomes and her driver should face criminal charges for endangering the lives of the two security guards and for creating public mischief,” the Opposition said in a press statement on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the party, the CCTV footage clearly depicts that the security guards in question were responsible for maintaining order at the private place of business and were forcibly prevented from doing so by the Junior Minister and her driver.
“The arrogance of Junior Minister Broomes in going as far as to pull down the ‘no parking signs’ to assign herself with some ‘delusional sense of privilege’ is unacceptable,” PPP maintains.
Moreover, they noted that the actions of the increasingly controversial Junior APNU+AFC Minister in her move to “cry victim”, after the incident, by claiming that one of the two security guards threatened her using his firearm was not only exposed as an untruth, but belies the lack of remorse.
In addition, the Party is also calling for Broomes to apologise to the two security officers, attached to the private firm in question, who were visibly harassed during the confrontation and placed in physical danger.
“The Junior Minister ought to have recognised that the security guards were performing their duties and should not have acted in the manner, which was exposed by the video footage.”
INews had previously reported that on Sunday evening, two security guards were detained and released on their own recognizance after Broomes made a police report.
Police investigations have thus far revealed that both the security officials as well as Broomes and her driver used abusive and threatening language against each other.
According to the guards, they did not recognize Broomes as a Government official but approached the vehicle she was travelling in when her driver attempted to park in the “no parking zone” on Massy’s Tarmac.
The Minister had told media operatives that even after identifying herself as a Government official, the men refused to allow her driver to park and in turn raised their shotguns at them.
She had maintained that at the time, she was scared for her life and had not responded in an abusive manner.
This claim, however, was overturned when the CCTV footage surfaced, displaying Broomes as well as her driver becoming enraged upon being told that they could not park in the specific area.
Broomes’ was seen stepping out of the vehicle and throwing the “No parking” sign from the spot, before directing her driver to park there.
Police have confirmed that investigations are still ongoing and legal advise is being sought.
