Latest update May 4th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 11, 2009 News
A 45-year-old miner is moving to the police force’s Office of Professional Responsibility as he seeks to recover $1.4M in raw gold which disappeared mysteriously during his arrest on Monday night last.
Mark Pearson, of Linden, is calling for a thorough investigation in relation to seven ounces, eight pennyweight of raw gold which he believes was taken by a police rank, who had arrested him during a minibus pull over at Goed Fortuin on the West Bank of Demerara.
Pearson who operates a mini-camp in the interior was in a minibus from Parika on his way home when two police ranks stopped the vehicle. They accused the driver of a traffic violation and ordered him to return to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
According to Pearson, since it was night and he had a large quantity of raw gold on his person, he desperately wanted to reach his destination in the mining town. He decided to exit the bus with the aim of catching a taxi to the city. However, the policemen stopped him and questioned him about his actions.
“He said he wanted to search my bag and he saw some money inside, one million dollars cash. He asked me where I got the money from and I told him that it was my money, ‘why you finding out my business?’” Pearson told this newspaper.
Being a licenced firearm holder he then took out his weapon and handed it along with his licence to the police who examined it.
But when he went into his pocket and took out the 15 ounces of raw gold which was wrapped in plastic, one of the policemen apparently assumed that it was drugs.
The rank demanded the plastic with the gold but Pearson refused to hand it over.
“I told him it was gold and he was not a mining officer and I was not supposed to hand my gold to him. He then tried to snatch it,” Pearson explained.
While attempting to forcefully grab the gold, the plastic that it was contained in burst and seven ounces of the precious metal spilled on the ground.
Pearson was immediately handcuffed and slammed to the ground without being given an opportunity to retrieve his gold despite his protestations.
With his face down he could not see what the policemen were doing and he assumed that they had picked up the spilled gold.
Pearson was subsequently taken to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station where he was detained.
But upon checking his gold he found that it was not the amount that he had when he was arrested.
“When the officer questioned him, he say he don’t know what happened. Then he put me on station bail and said they will investigate the matter. They even go back and check the spot where he arrested me and did not find the gold,” Pearson stated.
He said that investigators have taken statements from persons who were in the minibus and who saw what had transpired.
“I want back my gold,” said Pearson who is planning to return to the interior soon.
A senior police official confirmed that an investigation is underway.
Just over a month ago three ranks from the West Demerara Anti-Crime Unit were placed under close arrest following the alleged theft of 23 ounces of raw gold from a Brazilian miner.
Some of the stolen gold was recovered from persons who claimed that the police had given it to them as an incentive for them to ‘keep quiet’.
But a search of the ranks’ homes and other belongings failed to unearth the missing gold. A file pertaining to that investigation was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice and it was recommended that further investigations be carried out.
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