Opposition-nominated Commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Robeson Benn has once again been harassed and verbal threats have been hurled at him by Police ranks. The incident occurred after he arrived at the Secretariat, Georgetown, on Saturday to keep watch on the ballot boxes stored there.
Commissioner Robeson Benn
This is the second instance in less than one week of Benn being harassed by law enforcement agents. His intention was to meet with party representatives who were keeping watch of the ballot boxes, secured in containers.
Detailing the ordeal via a statement, Benn described it as an “unsettling” one. He would have shown up at the Kingston Headquarters at about 03:40h where ranks on duty denied him entry to the compound.
Other party representatives would have informed the female constabulary rank that he holds a position at the Commission but she did not budge. However sometime after, Benn said he was told to park his car on the road and enter the compound but not before facing threats from another male rank.
“I said that I was there to check on the container watchers…She eventually said that I had to park my car on the road, she was joined by a blue-clothed rank on the road who said ‘this man feel he can do what he wants… he needs somebody to slam him down’,” he recalled.
Meanwhile, after meeting with the party representatives who were keeping watch throughout the night, he was ordered to leave. He took the stance once more that it was his right to be present as a Commissioner, to which they allegedly accused him of lying.
To this, he concluded, “I believe that I cannot rely on the service and protection, and co-operation, that I have had with the police force over many years… I now feel threatened and targeted by elements in the Guyana Police Force.”
Manhandled
On Monday night, Benn was forced to the ground and dragged by tactical ranks of the Guyana Police Force after refusing to leave containers containing ballot boxes unguarded at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre where the national recount was supposed to be conducted.
As a result of being manhandled by the police, he was later transported by the police. The Commissioner would have suffered a torn left shoulder and elbow ligaments resulting in him having to use a sling.
“After 15 minutes of cajoling me to leave, two ranks proceeded to brace me out of the position. I was on the ramp at the back of the Convention Centre. I refused to leave and they laid hands on me and tried to physically remove me from the position,” he told the media shortly after the incident took place.
As he struggled to hold onto the rails, the Commissioner was forced to the ground and dragged some distance. The matter reached a point where the riot squad were contemplating the use of a shield to forcibly remove him.
“I held on to the rails and they dragged me along the ground to a point where I was lying on the ground. They said they were going to get a shield to put me on it and remove me. I kept refusing all the time,” Benn recalled.
As a result of these incidents, he is pursuing advice on the way forward and actions to be taken. During the initial incident, he had mentioned plans to engage Commissioner of Police, Leslie James on his dissatisfaction with the conduct of the GPF.
