On the heels of concerns raised by residents of Linden and other parts of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) over difficulties they are facing in having bail money returned to them from the Timehri Police Station, the Region’s Chairman, Renis Morian said he has engaged the attention of the acting Police Commissioner on the matter.
The Chairman said affected residents have been complaining to him for a long time over the issue, as he called on Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan to get involved.
“Residents in Region 10 have been complaining for a long time, that whenever they’re stopped by the Police at Timehri (and) they have to pay bail, there’s a difficulty getting (back) the bail money.”
Renis Morian
He added that based on complaints, he was forced to visit the station himself and he was told that the officer-in-charge was not available. According to the Regional Chairman, this is the exact situation residents of Region 10 have been complaining about. He noted that residents are claiming that every time they go to have the money returned to them, they are told that the officer-in-charge is not available.
He added that in one case, he made inquiry for a resident but three weeks later, the resident was still unsuccessful in receiving the bail money.
The Regional Chairman said he subsequently made contact with the acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, regarding the issue.
“Now I’ve sent an email to the acting [Police] Commissioner, he asked me to send him an email and outline the issue. I did send an email to him outlining the issue…the RDC in Region 10 wants this matter to be addressed. Too many residents aren’t getting back their bail money from the Timehri Police Station,” the Regional Chairman further stated. He claims that residents are being “pushed around” by the Police, whom he alleges give them lengthy dates to return.
“Then you’re hearing now, they got to go to Eve Leary. When they go to Eve Leary, Eve Leary telling them they got to wait…”, he said. Morian also threatened to picket the Police Commissioner’s Office if the matter is not addressed.
“Residents here need back their money. Or the next step we going to tek, we gonna picket the Commissioner of Police for the residents. That is what the people say,” he stated. (Utamu Belle)
