The People’s National Congress REFORM (PNC/R) has accused the police of criminalising party member Phillip Bynoe by flashing wanted bulletins on TV for him and the party says it will issue a statement on its own investigation into Wednesday’s disturbances.
Describing the bulletins as a dangerous development, the PNC/R in a press release on Saturday said that Bynoe had not been notified formally by the police of any charge against him.
Bynoe was at the head of Wednesday’s demonstration during which the Office of the President was invaded and staff terrorised. Two protesters were shot dead by police in this encounter. Later, protesters robbed and beat people in the city, set vehicles on fire and torched two buildings on Regent Street. On Friday, the police issued wanted bulletins for Bynoe and TV personality Mark Benschop saying they were wanted in connection with a series of offences.
In its statement, the PNC/R said that Bynoe was singled out as leader of the processions and that the ruling PPP/C "and its propaganda machinery have been attempting to distort the events which transpired that day to suggest that it was more than an illegal demonstration which got out of control".
The PNC/R charged that on Thursday, police conducted a search for Bynoe at his home in Linden. "After a thorough search they found nothing and left.
They never informed his wife that Mr Phillip Bynoe was wanted by the police for any offence nor did they leave any summons which required him to appear before any magistrate". The party said that it was also "reliably informed" that on his return home, Bynoe telephoned the police and was only told to get in touch with the Commissioner of Police, Floyd McDonald, which his lawyers advised him not to do.
“Mr Bynoe is a public figure. He served for several years as a Member of Parliament of this country and has served and continues to serve in several prominent national organisations. He has also recently re-established his membership of the People’s National Congress REFORM", the party said, adding that the flashing of his photograph on TV as if he were a common criminal with no serious attempt to formally notifiy him of any charge is a serious development.
The PNC/R also said it was unaware of the reason why Benschop could be deemed a wanted person.
The PNC/R further charged that the PPP/C was engaged in a campaign to inform the world that Bynoe was advocating the violent overthrow of the government and that this call was supported by the PNC/R leadership. Bynoe had mounted a platform at the Square of the Revolution and had called for the removal of the government.
This call had then been endorsed by PNC/R leaders.
Referring to Wednesday’s march, the PNC/R said that it encouraged its members to participate in it because it fully supported the issues which were being placed in focus.
The PNC/R said that the reason for the refusal of permission by the police for Wednesday’s march is questionable. "In recent weeks, in an effort to focus the Nation’s attention on the plight of the bauxite workers, many marches, candlelight vigils and various other activities have been held peacefully with no incident.
There was no reason to believe that Wednesday would have been different and that the requisite permission would not have been forthcoming", the party said.