Ramjattan demands protection for Sgt. Bascom 3 weeks after request for protection; President Ali still to act

Three weeks after a request was made to President Irfaan Ali to provide protection for Sergeant Dion Bascom, nothing has happened. The sergeant, through his attorney-at-law, Mr. Nigel Hughes, has requested “witness protection” pursuant to Section 20 of the Protected Disclosures Act (2018)

Speaking at a rally at Golden Grove on Saturday, Ramjattan said one of the pillars of good governance is to ensure its security is professional, honest, and protect and serve, which is so fundamental to our democracy. He however notes that this is on the decline.

Bemoaning the rise of societal crime through poor policies by the Ali administration, Ramjattan also pointed that this is also on the rise within the Guyana Police Force, whose motto is Service and Protection.

He went further in stating that the Force is not investigating issues even though the information is coming from a whistleblower, namely Bascom, who is in active duty.

At a recent Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference,  Ramjattan, who is the Party’s Leader,  pointed out that the damning allegations of Bascom into the circumstances of the Ricardo Fagundes aka Paper Short murder investigation which has shattered the public’s confidence in the Force and the Government.

On March 21, 2021 Fagundes was killed in a hail of bullets in front of Palm Court nightclub, Georgetown. Bascom in an explosive social media post has accused members of the Force, namely Superintendent Mitchell Caesar of a cover up of the crime and also implicated businessman Azruddin Mohamed. Both men have denied the allegation and Mohamed recently filed a $200 million defamation lawsuit against Bascom.

Ramjattan, former Minister of Public Security,  noted the descent of confidence comes so soon after the woeful conduct by its members in an exercise which led to the killing of Orin Boston and an attempted botched enquiry to avoid culpability by one of its members. Boston, an Essequibo Coast businessman was killed by the police SWAT team on 15 September 2022, whilst  in bed sleeping with his wife. Police Sherwin Peters has since been charged with manslaughter.

Turning attention to the Police’s reaction to Bascom’s allegation, which he said he stands by, the AFC leader pointed out that the conduct of the police leadership in bashing Bascom’s revelations before any trustworthy investigation, is shameless. According to him the Police “should just shut up!”

The Police in a press conference last month not only denied the allegations made by Bascom but referred to them as malicious.  Since then, it was reported the Office of the Director Public Prosecutions (DPP) has recommended charges be brought against the sergeant.

To the alleged charges, it was pointed out by the AFC leader that the attempt “to go the gamut of nailing the sergeant  to the cross with charges and an intended prosecution after seeking the advice of the DPP will only add to a national distress. The only thing that will be accomplished, if this is how it is pursued, is a radicalisation of an entire affected nation against that very Police Force which ought to rescue it, which ought to serve and protect it.”

Ramjattan, who is an attorney-at-law by profession and a serving Member of Parliament, offered that with “proper leadership, when incidents like these emerge, must see moral and ethical conduct emanating from those who the allegations and revelations are directed at. The High Command of every institution must live the examined life and suffer the processes of accountability.”

The Police leadership is certainly not above the law, he said as he chided them for acting in a manner as though they don’t “know in these circumstances the safety and security of sergeant is top priority and must be provided for. Not a criminal prosecution!”

The AFC is urging the Force to act in a manner that will engender public confidence and has too joined the call for a thorough credible investigation be completed and for Bascom’s safety to be assured without any penalising prosecution dangling over him. “Too much is at risk for an already suspect Guyana Police Force,” the Party cautioned.