Two members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who were held in connection with a missing AK-47 have alleged they were tortured and beaten by members of a military unit but the army yesterday said it was unaware of any physical abuse and was committed to probing such reports.
Several other soldiers are said to be recovering after suffering various forms of abuse during interrogation over the loss of the single AK-47 rifle which went missing from army headquarters in November last year.
Michael Dunn of Georgetown and Sharth Robertson of Berbice say they were beaten, doused with cold water and in one case slashed across the heel with an iron pipe during interrogation over the missing weapon. The alleged acts were carried out by officers attached to the Military Criminal Investigation Department (MCID).
Contacted for a comment yesterday, Colonel General Staff, Bruce Lovell told Stabroek News that “For the loss of the AK-47 rifle several persons were interrogated and we are not aware of any act of physical abuse during the interrogation process. We remain committed to investigating any such act”.
Up to yesterday the GDF had not recovered the weapon, which followed the theft of 30 similar rifles from the army storage bond in 2006. The military had come under severe pressure to recover the 30 AKs and the subsequent loss of another under a new hierarchy intensified this pressure.
The beating allegations also come at a time when the GDF is said to be investigating reports that two Buxtonians were similarly treated while in the custody of the joint services last year September.
Wanted bulletin
In an interview with this newspaper on Wednesday, Dunn’s mother, Carmelita Frank said that on December 7 last year two soldiers visited her work place in Georgetown enquiring about her son. She said at the time she had already left for home and one of her colleagues made contact with her. She said she subsequently spoke to one of the soldiers and directed them to her home on Regent Street. Frank said within minutes a jeep load of soldiers were at her home. She said the military personnel identified themselves and informed her that they wanted to see Dunn in connection with the loss of an AK-47 rifle. Frank said the soldiers had in their possession a wanted bulletin with her son’s face which they showed her. She said at the time Dunn was not home and she quickly summoned him. Once he arrived home the soldiers told their colleague that he was needed at Camp Ayanganna in connection with the missing weapon and the young man complied. Dunn said he was taken to the base and marched into the MCID where he was handed over to an officer who heads that unit. “Where is the people weapon?” the officer asked Dunn who replied, “Sir I don’t know anything about the weapon.” With that answer, Dunn said the officer commanded two other soldiers to restrain him. He said he was handcuffed and escorted to a room where he spent one hour sitting on a chair. He said later in the evening three officers entered the room. He said one of the officers had a note book and a pen while another asked him a few questions about the missing weapon. “I maintained that I don’t know anything about the weapon because that is the truth and they concluded that I was lying,” Dunn told Stabroek News. He alleged that one of the officers went outside and returned with an electrical shocking device. “I was then placed on a chair, hands handcuffed behind my back, feet bound,” Dunn recalled. He said the officers then reached for a water pitcher and took out two bags which were soaked with ice water. He said one of the bags was placed over his head and was tied very closely so that he could hardly see. He said with the bag over his head, the officers began shocking him across his back and face. Stabroek News saw marks on the man’s body which he said were the result of the shocks. He said while shocking him the officers continued to press him about the weapon and the more he maintained that he did not know the more they mistreated him. He said after a while the bags were taken off his head. Dunn said the officer began questioning again, with one suggesting to him that he and Robertson had planned to sell the rifle. Dunn denied this and the officer rained blows on him. He said he was kicked and cuffed about his body and this continued over a two-hour period. He said afterwards he was taken to the detention centre where he spent the night with another inmate. The next day at around 10:30 pm a sergeant went to the centre and called him out saying that he was wanted at the MCID.
Again the young man was placed in the interrogation room. “Dunn who does call you on your cell phone?” one of the three officers who beat him the previous night queried. “Check the phone book. The persons there are the people who would call me,” Dunn said was his response. With this answer, the man said he was slapped and his hands and legs were immediately bound. He said one of the officers collected a metal mop stick and began clubbing him. He said after being lashed with the mop stick, a bottle of pepper sauce was handed to one of the officers and some was poured into his underwear. “I was there crying and can’t do anything,” Dunn said. He said he tried to negotiate with the officers, but this did not work. Dunn said the officers rained more blows on him, kicking him in his chest and clubbing him with the metal stick. He said a bowl of ice water was then thrown on his head. The 20-year-old said the officers then left the room and he used the opportunity to telephone his mother using his cellular phone which was left on a table. He said he told his mother what was happening to him and while talking the officer heard and quickly rushed into the room and grabbed the phone from him. He said the officers checked to see who he had called after which they began beating him again. “I start to resist them
