Officers attached to the Georgetown City Constabulary have been accused of unlawfully assaulting a taxi driver on Thursday along Water Street, as he was awaiting a customer outside National Hardware.
Guyana Times was told that Surendra Mohabir parked his vehicle outside of the building located on Water Street, Georgetown, and was standing outside of the car.
Photo which shows the car being parked within the demarcated boundaries
Shortly after, he was approached by three Police officers attached to the City Constabulary, who accused him of obstructing the flow of traffic.
Upon questioning the accusations, the man was handcuffed, harassed and walked to the City Constabulary Outpost located on Regent Street.
An eyewitness at the scene, who spoke to this publication, revealed that Mohabir was not guilty of the accusations, since his vehicle, bearing registration plate HB 3474, was parked within the demarcated lines.
At that time, it was also noted that there was no traffic buildup in the area which could have caused a disturbance in traffic.
The matter was brought to the attention of the management of the hardware store. The owner of the hardware store, Edward Boyer, stated, “They harass the people so much that I think that people coming from out of town will be afraid to come to Georgetown to shop. This has got to stop. It is harassment at its highest.
“The City Council needs to talk to the City Police. This is not a criminal offence. Do not handcuff people [and] scramble them. This is despicable. What happened here today (Thursday), we need to stop this sort of thing. We live in a democracy and you can’t do it this way,” he added.
“I think it’s time we complain [to] the Mayor and City Council. They need to teach the City Police not to do this!” he related.
A customer who operates a bus was also harassed by the City Police for the same offence, although his vehicle was parked in the demarcated limits and away from the roadway. However, it was unclear whether he was arrested.
Mohabir was ordered to pay $5000 in bail, and is expected to appear at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on May 11.
