REPORTERS in East Berbice Corentyne, on Monday staged a picketing exercise in front of the Whim Police Station, standing in solidarity with one of their colleagues over the omission of a sexual assault charge in a matter involving a reporter and a Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) overseer.
The protest was staged over an incident which occurred in May 15th 2016, involving a Guyana Times reporter and the Port Mourant/Johns NDC overseer, Budwattie Ramnarine at the NDC.
Additionally, vendors who were subjected to verbal assaults by the overseer in that and other incidents were also protesting for the removal of Ramnarine. They are contending that her actions are high-handed.
According to the reporter he was covering a protest at the NDC when Ramnarine physically and sexually assaulted him after she realised he was recording her actions against the protesters. The reporter had filed a report at the police station and the matter of physical assault is currently engaging the courts.
However, according to the reporter the police have omitted the sexual assault charge from their case jacket and he is accusing the police of deliberately dragging their feet, due to the fact that he is a male and the overseer is familiar with ranks at the station. “I am not satisfied with the way the police dealt with the matter first of all, because they did not institute the charges because I’m a male and the overseer a female, has a somewhat more than normal relationship with some officers here at the station. They did not do what they were supposed to do,” the reporter said.
The reporter further contended that he is not pleased with the fact that the overseer is still performing her duties as per normal despite him reporting the matter to the chairman of the NDC as well as the Deputy Regional Executive Officer for Region #6. Reporters have since boycotted the Port Mourant/Johns NDC and the reporter is calling for boycott of the RDC of Region Six until the overseer is sent on leave to facilitate a proper investigation. Reporters held placards that read ‘reporters need protection too’ and ‘why only one charge’ as they picketed the police station. The reporters are contending that in the execution of their duty they should be able to do same without being fearful or being subjected to any form of abuse. Additionally an arrest warrant was issued for Ramnarine who failed to appear in court on Monday to answer to the charges of assault.