Resident accuses Parika Police of victimisation and bribery

Ramwattie Safeek of Lot 1982 Main Road, Parika, East Bank Essequibo, is claiming some of the ranks stationed at the Parika Police Station are victimising her and taking bribes.
The mother of four, in an interview with Guyana Times on Thursday, broke down in tears as she conveyed to this newspaper the treatment she has been receiving from the officers at the Parika Station.
The 41-year-old woman, accompanied by her friend, indicated that she could not read nor write and as a result, she used her phone to record important matters, but this has not been of much help.

Safeek noted that the Police had been unprofessional in a number of incidents involving her.
She related that she had let her property to two Chinese who operated the “Golden World Restaurant” on the premises. This agreement was done by way of a contract, but since Safeek could not read and write she asked her former friend, Lynette Singh, to accompany her to ensure the contract was fair. However, Singh was allegedly offered money from the tenants to trick Safeek.
Stemming from this, several altercations between Safeek, Singh and the Chinese had taken place, but, unfortunately, for Safeek, she was given the bitter end of justice by the Police even at times when she had reported matters.
According to Safeek, when she showed the Sergeant attached to the Parika Police Station her phone containing video recordings of what transpired between her and the perpetrators, the Sergeant deleted her video records and took no action to look into her plight.
Another incident involving Safeek and the Police took place when she called them to lodge a complaint against the named individuals only to hear an unpleasant reply.“Tuesday night me call the station to complain and Officer (name given) tell me I is a witch to call de Police Station and he hang up de phone.”
Additionally, Safeek alleged, she could not get a fair dealing since the Police were taking bribes from the tenants and other vendors. Safeek explained that vendors selling in front of her premises were dumping garbage on her land and upon inquiry, she was told “call the Police if you want, I gun just pass a something”.
Similarly, she pointed out the Chinese woman told her “she (Safeek) made me pay $100,000 to Council”.
Safeek related that while the Chinese woman was destroying her property, she investigated the issue and was “cursed out” by the woman who then went to the Police Station and filed an assault complaint against her. However, Safeek was not charged, but rather was forced to stay an entire day in custody, only to be released with the aid of her Attorney.
When trying to explain what happened to the Sergeant, she said was very unpleasant. “When me telling he what happen he tell me shut up, he ain’t want hear nothing; I in custody get on the bench.”
Safeek also identified a female officer who even joined with vendors to “torment her” and stated that the officer could not say anything because “dem does pay her”.
The Parika resident is calling on officials to address the professionalism of the officers at the Parika Station so that justice could be served.
This news agency tried several times to call the Parika Police Station to get a response from the officers stationed there, but the phones were engaged.