THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) has announced that a full scale investigation is underway into allegations of brutality by its ranks in the Bartica community.
The announcement said a team, comprising Police Public Relations and Press Officer Ivelaw Whittaker; Acting Divisional Commander of ‘E & F’ Divisions, Senior Superintendent Deryck Young; Officer-in-Charge of the Tactical Services Unit (TSU), Senior Superintendent Colin West; Divisional Detective Officer of ‘E & F’ Divisions, Deputy Superintendent William Ramraj and Sergeant Gladwin Hercules, of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), has to complete investigations into the particular incident reported in Kaieteur News and Guyana Times newspapers yesterday.
The release said the investigators were expected to meet with residents of the community, at 16:00 hours yesterday, in Bartica Regatta Pavilion, where the media were invited.
Meanwhile, the accused policemen have been placed under close arrest and will be transferred from the area as soon as the probe is concluded, the GPF stated.
It added that investigations, so far, revealed that a young officer visited premises where he claimed he saw some unlawful activity but was prevented from entering.
He sought assistance from Bartica Police Station and returned but it appears there was a fracas involving the Police, the proprietor of the business and his staff, the release said.
The GPF said three persons, including the father of the proprietor of Sunset Boulevard night club, where the ‘Bootilicious Pageant’ was staged, alleged that they were beaten by the Police after they were denied entry to the premises during the event on Saturday night.
Other reports out of Bartica said, about 23:00 hours that night, a Police officer from Bartica Station, who was dressed in plain clothes, attempted to barge into the club to view the show but was prevented from doing so by the door keepers who insisted he must pay the entrance fee of $1,000.
It was reported that the officer, after hurling verbal obscenities at the promoters, left but returned soon after, in the company of a named Cadet Officer, both brandishing guns as they ordered that the programme be halted without giving any reason.
That report said, when the proprietor, Winston Miller, attempted to intervene, he was ordered to shut down the place by the two officers, one dressed in black clothes, who became very angry after being told that the owner has a licence to operate his business.
The narrative said, as the proprietor’s father intervened, he was pushed to the ground and kicked in the face, resulting in injuries, also to his left eye.
A patron was gun butted across the chest and slapped around by the Police and, when the master of ceremonies (MC) spoke, he was physically roughed up, as well, by the Police, it was alleged by residents who claimed that Police brutality continues to go unchecked in Bartica.
About the incident, Younge said he was informed of an altercation with the proprietor’s father and the Police “at a strip tease show.”
The Senior Superintendent said he expects a full report on the circumstances, shortly.