Former national footballer, Dwaine Sandy, who police earlier this month declared “wanted” and “armed and dangerous”, says he wants a meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.
Sandy was released from police custody at 4:50 a.m. on Saturday after a second 48 hours in detention this week in connection with the June 13 robbery of EC$100,000 (EC$1=US$0.37) from a female postal workers and the shooting of a police officer who came to help her.
Sandy’s lawyer, Grant Connell, said on Wednesday that police said they had taken Sandy into custody for “safekeeping”.
Sandy told I-Witness News on Saturday that police took a statement from him and accused him of being involved in a robbery of a money transfer service here sometime ago.
He said that when the police came to his house sometime before 3 a.m. Thursday, they manhandled his mother and struck him in the chest.
“They come home by me, pull down me mother on she back. They give me a thump in me chest; me have to reach by the hospital. I [was] there spitting blood all thing,” Sandy told I-Witness News.
Connell told I-Witness News on Saturday that police informed him on Friday that his client was taken to the hospital.
Sandy objected to the manner in which the police treated him.
“They have me down in the hospital Thursday like me a some animal, when I am an innocent man,” he said.
“Right now, I fear for my life because they come and pick me up a second time and I am innocent all the time.
“… When the Prime Minister comes back, I want a meeting with the Prime Minister. I want to talk to the Prime Minister to try and reinstate my character.”
Prime Minister Gonsalves is also Minister of National Security and Legal Affairs.
“Right now, my record is clean and if you watch in the Police Force, they have people in the Police Force now with their record dirty — as criminals. … That is how the society messed up,” Sandy said.
Commissioner of Police, Keith Miller, have reinstated three police officers who were convicted of offences in relation to their beating a 14-year-old boy into a one-week coma a few years ago.
Sandy said that when the police released him, they told him their investigations are continuing.
But he maintained that he is innocent and said he has proof that he was in Grenada when the robbery was committed.
Meanwhile, the police chief said earlier this week that they have another suspect in relation to the June 13 crimes.
Connell escorted Sandy from Grenada to St. Vincent on Monday after police said last week Thursday that he was wanted.
Meanwhile, a prosecutor has questioned the decision by the police to keep Sandy for “safe keeping”.
“I [am] wondering about this new law the police passed. Lord help us! They now claim a power of arrest for safe keeping,” Carl Williams, a lawyer in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution said Friday on the social networking website, Facebook.
“There is no act of [P]arliament giving power to the police to arrest anyone for safe keeping,” the prosecutor further said.
Shame and the business of ‘saving face’ can cause us to act in terrible ways which do not help the action that brought about the shame. On the bright side, if shame is present, conscience is also present and there is a glimmer of hope.
J JAMES
They have no shame, just as the minister has no shame, the COP has no shame, they are all out of control.
Bring back the PACE act, and stop all this nonsense.
If such as Gonsalves can claim huge sums through the courts for silly things, this man must be able to claim millions.
Anything where the police Is doing things out of their duties the people need to hold the politicians responsible the PM etc…cuz they are the elected leader so they need to set to rules for the police….and maybe this is something that ralph like where police can meet ppl and do them what ever they feel like and nothing come out of it……its time the people start holing the elected ppl responsible for these duncing police actions. If the ppl of svg doesn’t hold the government responsible it just gonna get worst…..
I am wondering, why Mr Sandy wants to see the Pm…IT IS NOT THE PM HE SHOULD BE SEEING BUT HIS LAWYER!!! WTF.
This is now a total abuse of power and the DPP or the Attorney General needs to intercede and get to the bottom of this case. It is either you have some sort of evidence on Mr Sandy or you don’t…this arrest and release conundrum without any charges is clearly an act of absolute incompetence and a violation of Mr Sandy’s civil rights.
Yes, I agree Peter, I hope Mr Connell does his job and sue the police on behalf of his client.Mr Sandy should be a rich man in the coming years.
Having said all that;I hope Mr Sandy is indeed innocent of this crime for his own sake and for all of us here who are giving him the benefit of the doubt.
In fact billions!
This is called trial and error investigation by our Po-Lice force, fellas. The abuse committed by the Black Squad is part of the Training Program for the GESTAPO. Come next election, they should be well seasoned to quiet every “Toute Mon Baggai” who dare to openly oppose the regime, ensuring another victory at the polls. Hitler did it.
This story is moving towards the surreal. Something is just not adding up.
regardless to if Mr Sandy is innocent or guilty, his mother has nothing to do with him committing the crime, every man chose his own path. The police is really abusing their power and only we the people can stop this by coming together as one in unity and stop putting up with the bullshit!
But then again, maybe the Prime Minister is the rightest place for him to go.
What did the Prime Minister do when his press secretary broadcasted loud on raido for the world to hear that he had planned to kill a man for only heckling him?
And on his way to the Prime Minister, a stop by mister nolle prosequi wouldn’t hrut either.
At this point, it’s a bit like playing blind man’s buff…