A REPORTER was arrested last Saturday for taking video footage of the Timehri Police Station, East Bank of Demerara, which has attracted controversial attention since a man was, allegedly, sodomised while in custody there.

Multi-Technology Vision (MTV/News Update) reporter, 25-year-old Nickhail Jaundoo, was detained by the Station Sergeant at the Timheri Police Station for taking the footage.
Jaundoo, along with other reporters, was returning from a ministerial assignment at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, also on East Bank of Demeara, when the arrest was made.
The reporter stopped at the station and was taking what is commonly referred to, in the media, as cover shots. A policeman shouted, instructing that he cease what he was doing.
The cop then exited the station and ordered the reporter to stop taking the photographs even as the latter questioned why, since he was on the public roadway and not in the station compound.
Jaundoo was then ordered into the station where the policeman questioned him about where he worked, why he was taking the photographs and misinforming the reporter that he was committing a violation, as he needed to get permission first, before he could video the station.
The policeman, however, could not say where or from whom the permission needed to be sought before the photographer could have carried out his fundamental duties in keeping with his profession.
The cop then proceeded to record the reporter’s personal data, including his name, age, address and where he worked.
Finished reviewing
It was at that point that the policeman informed the young reporter that, when he was finished reviewing the information and is able to come up with something that constitutes an offence, he will be summoned.
Meantime, he was released.
Saturday’s incident was not the first clear case of a policeman abusing his power to arrest and detain persons, in this case journalists.
In 2009, a Prime News reporter was arrested by a police party after he stood on a private property for which permission was given and was taking video footage of a police operation on D’Urban Street.
He was detained for almost one hour at Brickdam Police Station before being released without any charge.
There was also the case where veteran journalist Francis Quamina Farrier was apprehended and held for taking video footage of a police station. In that instance, however, the journalist challenged the police in a court of law and won, resulting in him being compensated.
Policemen and women, often, express dislike for the lens of journalists, once they are not at official functions.
Meanwhile, on Sunday the Guyana Police Force said yesterday that the investigation into the report of assault and buggery made by Colwyn Harding is still under investigation and that is being handled by the Police Office of Professional Responsibility.
The Force, in a release, stated that some media outlets seem to have already come to a conclusion of guilty for the ranks implicated in the matter without the completion of the ongoing probe.
The release reminded that the Police Commissioner did indicate that the investigations will be completed by this week before advice is sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The GPF called for good sense and professionalism to prevail throughout the investigation as any other approach can be determined as an aim to demoralise ranks and tarnish its image and reputation.
It assured that condign action will be taken against ranks found to be unethical and inappropriate since the Force does not condone such behaviours.

(By Leroy Smith)