Police have not acted on my stolen phone

Dear Editor,

I would like to share my story of how I was abused, assaulted and robbed of my telephone. The incident occurred in front of the Prue Diamonds Inc. building on Duncan Street. I am also of the strong view that the Guyana Police Force is protecting the person who committed the offence against me because he is a big businessman.

On the morning of August 5, 2026, I parked my vehicle on the Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) reserve on the parapet outside of the Prue Diamonds Inc. building. I started walking towards a business place on the opposite side, as I was walking away, I heard one of the security in front of the Prue Diamond Inc. building, shouting aggressively; hello, hello, hello, but I continued walking. He continued shouting aggressively, hello, hello, I knew that he was calling me because I had parked my vehicle in front of the building. I then turned back and asked the security if he was going to abuse me for parking on the Mayor and City Council’s reserve and I proceeded to go to transact my business.

I spent about 10 to 15 minutes at the business place where I was going and was returning to my vehicle when I saw one of the security from the Prue Diamonds Inc. business videoing the number plate on my vehicle and my vehicle. I approached him and asked him why he was videoing the number plate on my vehicle and my vehicle. I then took out my telephone and started to video him while he was videoing my vehicle and my number plate. He proceeded to walk around my vehicle slowly videoing my front number plate, the side of my vehicle, the back number and the other parts of my vehicle. He had a big gun around his shoulder. I kept walking behind him and asking him why he was videoing my number plate and my vehicle, I also asked him if he was going to find out who I am and come and look for me? I kept repeating my questions.

He then turned to face me and started to video me asking him the questions, I was also videoing him. The security then walked back into the Prue Diamonds Inc. compound, and I stood on the Mayor and City Council’s parapet in front of the building asking him, why he was videoing the number plate of my car and my car because I parked on the Mayor and City Council’s parapet in front of the building. I further said that if I broke the law, the thing to do, is to call the police, and they will tell me which law I broke and the police will take it from there, but you cannot be videoing my number plate and my car like that. What happened next was even more shocking and traumatic. A male who I described to the police as being about 5 feet 4 inches, caucasian, latino, fair in complexion with curly hair, rushed out of the building at me and snatched my telephone out of my hands and went back into the building.

There were three security with big guns in front of the building. I was so traumatized that I started to call for help, help, somebody help me please, they have my phone in that building. People were passing looking at me. A man jumped into his vehicle and drove away quickly. I then ran to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Vlissengen Road, visibly traumatized and shaken and asked the police to help me get my telephone back, and I told them what had happened.

The police allowed me to make a telephone call to my lawyer Mr. Nigel Hughes and I told him what had occurred. The police took me back to the Prue Diamonds Inc. building and Mr. Hughes was also there and they retrieved my telephone from inside the building. What was even more bizarre was that a security of African descent told the police and Mr. Hughes, that he was the person who snatched my telephone, even though the description of the person who snatched my telephone was a male caucasian, latino, fair in complexion with curly hair. The security was willing to take the fall for the person. I told the police and Mr. Hughes that the security was not the person who snatched my telephone.

On August 18, having not gotten any further reports from the police about the arrest of the person or them even bringing the person in for me to identify him, I staged a protest in front of the CID Headquarters on Vlissengen Road.^[1] I included a photograph of the person who snatched my telephone on one of the placards and the name of the person on another placard. So, that the police would no longer confuse the person who snatched my telephone with the security of African Descent (or mixed race). The Deputy Crime Chief, Mr. Caesar, invited me into his office and assured me that he will ensure that the matter is addressed.^[1]

I visited the CID Headquarters twice after meeting with the Deputy Crime Chief, to follow up with the inspector dealing with the matter and was told that he was not there. I have therefore instructed my lawyer Mr. Nigel Hughes to proceed to file private criminal charges against this very senior person at the Prue Diamonds Inc. business.^[1]

While I am pursuing this case for justice for myself in this matter, I am also using my voice to fight for every black woman and girl, every Amerindian woman and girl, every East Indian woman and girl, every woman who was abused, assaulted and violated by a powerful man who was too powerful for even the police to charge him. Women must be treated with respect in Guyana; women will be treated with respect in Guyana.

References

1. I was Abused, Assaulted and Robbed of my Telephone in Front of Prue Diamonds Inc. by a Senior Person from the Company – Village Voice News — villagevoicenews.com ↩