-two male cops charged with attempting to obstruct course of justice
A female Special Lance Corporal was charged with manslaughter while two other cops from her police station were charged separately with the offence of Attempt to Obstruct the Course of Justice at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court today.
The three police ranks were hauled before Magistrate Esther Sam in relation to the death of taxi driver Lalbachan Bachan who died between June 30 and July 1, last year, while in the police lockups.
Woman Special Lance Corporal, Vanessa Milo, of Aurora Police Station, Detective Corporal, Dwayne Braithwaite, of Anna Regina Police Station and Police Constable,Denzil Glasgow, of the Suddie Police Station were not required to plead to their respective charges.
The female cop was granted bail in the sum of $400,000 while Braithwaite and Glasgow were each granted bail to the tune of $50,000 each.
The matter adjourned to August 7, 2020 for report.
Bachan was arrested on June 28, 2019, at Maria’s Lodge, Essequibo Coast and died while in the custody of the police.
The now dead man’s wife had told the media last year her husband was arrested on June 12, 2019, for driving under the influence of alcohol.
He was placed on $20,000 bail at the Suddie Police Station and was ordered to appear before the Suddie Magistrate’s Court on June 20, last year.
However, the matter was adjourned and Bachan was scheduled to return to the Court on June 28 instead.
When he failed to attend court on the new date, an arrest warrant was issued for him.
According to Bachan’s widow, the cops had visited their home on the same day (June 28, 2019) and placed him in the lock-ups at the Suddie Police Station.
The woman had stated that she was not allowed to see her husband until the morning of June 30, last year.
At that time, she said her husband hqd inquired about their children and also complained that he was “feeling unwell.”
One day later after this visit, she recalled that as her family members were preparing to visit the police station, they received news that Bachan had died.
According to reports in the media, the woman had rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital where she observed her husband bleeding from his head, which was also swollen.
After the incident, Police, in a release to the media, claimed that Bachan was the lone prisoner in the cell.
A Post-Mortem Examination (PME) which was conducted by Dr. Nehaul Singh on the man’s body, declared that Bachan had died from asphyxiation.
