Dear Editor,
Whilst driving on Thursday, January 20, I was stopped by a traffic constable who informed me that he was instructed by the Sergeant in charge of the Traffic Division to tell me to drive into the Anna Regina Police station compound, which I did. The Sergeant then related to me that he had received information that I was using my private car for hire, when this was not true and there was not an iota of evidence to give support the allegation. My vehicle is being used strictly in a private capacity, mainly to transport children and grandchildren of family members to and from school with the police being unable to prove otherwise.
I contacted the Divisional Commander with his deputy being present at his office about my predicament, but that turned out to be useless. Much to my surprise, the traffic Sergeant was instructed to charge me and place me before the court on Tuesday, January 25. Eventually, I was released on ten thousand dollars cash bail, which prompted me to ask the Sergeant, “Wha you go charge me fah?” with his response being, “When you go court you go know.”
On the date given to attend court, I was there accompanied by my parents and after the entire day was wasted with precious time and hard-to-get money on travelling going down the drain, no charge was filed against me, and it is obvious that none will ever reach the court from the fact that I did not commit any offence whatsoever. The bail money is yet to be refunded and when this will be done is still unknown, to cause yet another problem.
In addition, my private car PKK 7169 was impounded at the Anna Regina Divisional Headquarters for seven days, and it could well have been for a longer period had contact not been made with the Ministry of Home Affairs following which it was released. There is no section of the law that empowers the police to keep my vehicle.
They are just creating unnecessary suffering and inconvenience having regard to the fact that my vehicle was not involved in an accident nor was there any violation pertaining to its use.
Yours faithfully,
Ansar Alli
