– says cops held him as ‘Fineman’
An East Ruimveldt man who said police picked him up, because they felt that he looked like ‘Fineman’ has accusing the force of unlawful detention, harassment and damaging his home.
Robin Rodney said the police brought unnecessary suffering to him and his family as a result of the incident. Rodney said he was on his way to Essequibo for a family reunion when police ranks stopped the vehicle he was travelling in and ordered him out.
Rodney recounted his story to Stabroek News after he was released from custody yesterday afternoon recalling that it was around 10.30 am when officers at Leonora detained him claiming he bore a striking resemblance to wanted man Rondel Rawlins.
Stabroek News was unsuccessful in contacting the police for a comment yesterday.
According to Rodney, who gave his address as 752 East Ruimveldt and also said he was a carpenter, he and two other relatives hired a taxi at Vreed-en-Hoop and were on their way to Parika when ranks at Leonora stopped the vehicle.
The four occupants of the car were ordered out of the vehicle and asked to enter the station, which he said, they did. His relatives and the taxi driver were later sent away and the police detained him.
Rodney said he was later transported to Eve Leary where he spent several hours trying to figure out what was happening to him. He said the police briefly stated that he was being held for questioning but said that he was asked no questions. While he was at Leonora he recalled being asked where he lived.
The man said he met two officers at Eve Leary who knew him and both of them testified on his behalf, and that it was only after they spoke that he was allowed to go.
Rodney said he went home and was shocked to find that his door had been kicked down and his home ransacked. Persons who reside at the home with him then broke the news that police were there.
Rodney said he just wanted to go to his family reunion and that was it. He said the police had no right to hold him at Leonora because he was not wanted and he had done nothing wrong. Additionally, he said that he looked nothing like ‘Fineman’.
“This man got a $50M reward out on he head and them saying how I look like he. Me ain’t want trouble ya know, none at all,” the man added.
