Guyana Observer News

Magistrate Sohan did not take breathalyzer test – Police

Tuesday, 17 August 2010

(In photo: B Division Commander, Steve Merai) Sample Image

Senior officials of the Guyana Police Force are maintaining that Magistrate Chandra Sohan refused to submit to a breathalyzer test following an accident on the Coldingen Public Road on the East Coast of Demerara, last Thursday. In fact, the police are claiming that following his refusal, they had opted to have the Magistrate submit to a blood test at the Fort Wellington Hospital after he was detained by police in that district. Divisional Commander of the Police East Coast Division, Assistant Commissioner Gavin Primo told Kaieteur News that following the accident, the Magistrate was invited to the Vigilance Police Station with a view to have him submit to a breathalyzer test after ranks suspected that he was under the influence of alcohol.

However, according to Assistant Commissioner Primo, the Magistrate “walked away”.
He said that the ranks at the station, including the Duty Officer, were of the opinion that the Magistrate was securing his vehicle and it was not until he drove away that they realised what had happened.
A message was subsequently dispatched to stations along the route to Berbice, where the Magistrate was heading, and he was subsequently stopped at the Weldaad Station on the West Coast of Berbice.
The Magistrate in a statement carried by this newspaper yesterday indicated that he did take the breathalyzer test at Weldaad.
But Divisional Commander of the Police Berbice Division, Assistant Commissioner Steve Merai had a different version of what transpired. He claimed that after the Magistrate was stopped at Weldaad, he was then taken to the Fort Wellington Station where he refused to take the test, claiming that he was suffering from a cough.
The Commander then instructed an inspector at the station to escort the Magistrate to the Fort Wellington Hospital for him to have a blood test. However, the hospital informed the police that they were not in possession of a medical kit to conduct the test.
According to Merai, instructions were given to have the Magistrate escorted back to the East Coast Division, where the entire episode originated, so that the appropriate action could be taken. However, the Duty Officer at the time in that Division advised that the Magistrate should be released on self bail and report to the Divisional Headquarters at Cove and John the following day.
According to the police, the Magistrate never reported to Cove and John.
Police ranks are claiming that the Magistrate was very abusive to ranks in the initial stages of the investigations, a claim the Magistrate denied.
Kaieteur News understands that the police will be seeking advice on the way forward, since according o them, Magistrate Sohan is a senior public official.

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