The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has removed the Lethem Location Commander who was involved in an altercation with another man earlier this month and are currently proceeding with disciplinary action against him.
“We have concluded our investigations, we have changed over the officer and disciplinary action has been directed against him,” Brigadier Mark Phillips told Stabroek News yesterday.
Former Lieutenant, 23-year-old Mervin Shewprasad, has alleged that he was first assaulted by the Location Commander and had to be rushed to the Lethem Hospital in a semi-conscious state, after he was subsequently beaten by a group of men he claims are army personnel.
Shewprasad had an altercation with his former colleague at a nightclub in the village of Tabatinga, in Lethem, and was heading to the Lethem hospital to check for a possible concussion to the head, as he had allegedly been hit with a bottle earlier.
However, he was intercepted by a group of men he claims are soldiers who rained blows on him until he was semi-conscious.
On hearing of the reports the GDF deployed an investigative team to Lethem to probe and advise on a way forward in the matter.
Phillips informed that the investigative team found that the officer was in breach of several army regulations and thus advised that he disciplined accordingly.
He said that the army’s actions were different from those of the Guyana Police Force but he was not aware of where those investigations are.
Efforts to contact Police Crime Chief Leslie James for comment proved futile.
Shewprasad said that while he was indeed discharged from the army as he had been Absent without Leave (AWOL) it was not on dishonourable grounds but “Struck Off Strength” (SOS).
He said too that he was never charged for a criminal offence but made reference to an event when he woke one morning to attend gym and found that his car had been broken into and there were illicit drugs inside of it. He said he drew the matter to the police’s attention and was questioned about it but never charged.
The former Lieutenant noted too that up to yesterday he was still having medical treatment for his injuries, that his eyes are still swollen and that he continues to have headaches.
As for the disciplinary action against his former colleague, Shewprasad says he doesn’t not see it as “any big move” by the army.
