I wish to refer to a sub-caption, “Presidential Guard held with Cocaine” boldly featured on the front page of Kaieteur News, Monday June 6, 2011. The entire article is patently false, misleading and astounding in the immensity of its fabrication.
Here are the facts
(i) On Saturday June 4, 2011, the Constable in question was returning from a ‘wake’ in Annandale after dropping home his cousin and buying himself a food. (ii) At approximately 22:30 hours while riding his bicycle ahead of two men, none of whom are related to him, they were stopped at the Annandale Public Road by five men who stated they were from the Community Policing Group (CPG). The two men who were behind the Presidential Guard – one of whom was a Rasta – rode away with total disregard for the CPG members. No one pursued. The Presidential Guard however, complied and voluntarily submitted himself to a search without disclosing his identity. Nothing illegal was found on him.
(iii) During this process and while he was still in the presence of the members of the CPG, one of them who was about 15 feet away from the main group and the presidential guard, yelled that he found what later appeared to be narcotics (both marijuana and cocaine).
(iv) Amazingly enough, on the basis of this ‘discovery’ by the individual member of the CPG, the Presidential Guard was taken to the Vigilance Police Station where in keeping with normal police procedures, relevant documentation was done
Given the discriminative method applied in the stop and search, the circumstances of the ‘discovery’, lack of any police presence with the members of the CPG and the total fabrication as presented by Kaieteur News, it is not surprising that we have descended to the level of mediocrity in which we have found ourselves.