Benschop says it’s time Police come clean on press conference recording

Two weeks ago, attorney-at-law Mandel Moore, advisor to the Guyana Police Force and the prosecutor for the trial against Detective Dion Bascom, told the court the Force does not have a recorded copy of their August 17 press conference. However, Mark Benschop, criminologist, social activist and host of the ‘Straight Up’ Programme does not believe the Police.

On September 28, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly remanded Moore for failing to produce the tape as requested, in spite of the hearings rescheduled to allow for disclosure. On the day in question, the Police called a press conference, which was hosted by acting Commissioner Clifton Hicken and Crime Chief Wendell Blanham, to rebut allegations made by Bascom.

Bascom had accused members of the Force, namely Detective Superintendent Mitchell Caesar of engaging in a cover-up of the March 2021 killing of Ricardo Fagundes aka ‘Paper Short,’ along with businessman Nazruddin Mohamed and security guard Mark Richmond who he implicated for the alledged murder.  They have all denied the allegations and at the August 17 press conference the Police said Bascom’s was being dishonest and malicious. Mohamed and Richmond have since sued Bascom and he is facing cybercrime charges against Caesar. However, Bascom said he is standing by his story.

Benschop said it is probably a first in the world the Police would call a press conference, set up cameras, have in attendance the Commissioner and Crime Chief all of whom were seen on their internal cameras, and not have the event recorded.

Further, the Police has a Press Unit staffed by police media personnel and two private media operatives, Mark Ramotar and Stan Gouveia, and sent out a statement an hour in advance advising of the conference, he argued.

Benschop, who is also knowledgeable in media/studio technology, pointed out it is ironic the Police would set up the projector, pull down Bascom video that he made the allegations, except to record the press conference. Who are they fooling, he queried? “The evidence shows that on the day of the press conference they had a specific screen and cameras in the room that was operable.”

Questioning the trustworthiness of the Police on the matter, the activist said it proves senior members of the Force are out to ensure there is no justice in this particular case and the only person they are after is Bascom.

In that press conference, Benschop said it was clear Bascom’s rights were being violated because the course of natural justice was not upheld for him. In fact, he believes the private criminal charge filed by Bascom’s lawyer, Nigel Hughes, against the Crime Chief should never have been withdrawn. He wants the charge to be reintroduced. In withdrawing the charge, Director of Public Prosecutions  (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC,  said she was exercising powers conferred on her under Article 187 (1) (C) of the Constitution of Guyana.

Hughes had announced he will pursue the reason for the withdrawal of the charge.

Benschop, who is calling for an investigation into the DPP’s withdrawal of Bascom’s charge and not Blanham’s, is of the view “The DPP is acting as though she has vested interest in protecting the police, Mohamed and the security guard, who are subject of the investigation.” It is time for the Force to come clean because their gymnastics will erode public confidence, a confidence that is already at the lowest, he said.