By Tracey Khan – Drakes
[www.inewsguyana.com] – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) says it will not accept the promotion of the two cops who tortured a 15 – year – old boy in 2008 at the Leonora Police Station, West Coast Demerara.
During the Party’s weekly press conference on February, 13, Opposition Leader, David Granger made it clear that the partnership stands firmly against the promotion of the two cops since it flies in the face of international conventions that Guyana signed onto.
The Opposition Leader noted that they are against this promotion morally and plans to take action against it after the May 11 polls without interfering with the autonomy of the Police Service Commission (PSC).
When questioned how he plans to do this, Granger simply said by using the ‘law’ that is in place against torture.
“That the government is a signatory to the convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Torture is a crime against humanity and torturers are the common enemies of all mankind,” Granger said.
In 2008, police ranks, Mohanram Dolai and Narine Lall were charged with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause grievous bodily harm by burning the genitals of 15-year-old Twyon Thomas. The teenager was arrested in connection with the death of then Region Three Vice Chairman, Ramenaught Bisram.
Granger sought to remind the ruling Party of the international condemnation torture attracts. “It is a crime against humanity, it is a crime of international jurisdiction, a torture could be prosecuted in any country of the world, so if someone commits the crime of torture in Guyana or Suriname, he could travel to Spain or Greece and be prosecuted.”
Granger is convinced that the acting Police Commissioner made the recommendation for the two tortured cops to be promoted.
“The PSC doesn’t drop from the sky, it works on recommendations from the Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner of police had to be involved in recombination, somebody had to make that recondition to the PSC.”
Meanwhile, the Party’s shadow Home Affairs Minister; Winston Felix maintains that the promotion of the two cops was politically influenced.
Speaking on what course of action he would have taken against a matter of this nature, he explained that, “departmental action should have been taken against the ranks… they should have been charged departmental for some act of misconduct because there are several acts of flaring misconduct in that matter, the charge sheets ought to have been endorsed with a view to dismissal from the force and reduction of rank where necessary.”
The revelation of the promotion received widespread condemnation from sections of society, including the Rights of the Child Commission, which called for it to be rescinded.
The case against them was dismissed after the teenager did not show up in Court to testify. Dolai was promoted to Corporal while Lall was promoted to Inspector.
The Police Commissioner had struggled to justify to Reporters the promotion of the two police officers while noting that, “life must go on”.
