CrimeWatch host Ian Alleyne is appealing to citizens to be more cautious on the roads. He made the call after arriving on the scene of yet another horrific accident on the Uriah Butler Highway near the Caroni Bird Sanctuary on Sunday. The accident claimed the life of Rohan Peters, a passenger in one of the two vehicles involved in the accident. A standard two student of the Warren Primary School and his father were also involved in the accident and were taken to hospital in critical condition.
Alleyne aired the footage of the carnage after the crash in the hope of curbing bad driving habits and the senseless loss of lives on the nation’s roads, especially with the Christmas season upon us and Carnival around the corner. Also this week, after obtaining sufficient video evidence, Alleyne uncovered abuse of prisoners at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca.
The video showed prisoners being beaten and assaulted by prisons officers. A relative of one of the prisoners visited CrimeWatch to express her concern and disgust over the treatment of the prisoners. The woman said the inmates were already serving time for their crimes and should not be beaten like animals.
Alleyne called for a thorough investigation to be launched by the relevant authorities into the matter. He was unable to determine the extent of the injuries sustained by the prisoners but he vowed to follow up the matter and obtain answers and justice for the prisoners. In another story, a machine worker whose identity was not disclosed appeared on the programme seeking assistance from Alleyne regarding a compensation claim he has against his former employer, Rio Claro-based Bachoo Clay Pots Limited.
The man, whose hand was crushed in a machine while working, has not received compensation or assistance from his former employer, although the matter was settled in court in favour of the disabled worker. Alleyne asked the owner of Bachoo Clay Pots Limited to get in contact with him at 294-4081. Alleyne also started investigating another case of alleged police brutality. The latest case came via a complaint from the family of Cepep worker Shaquille Rodgers.
Rodgers’ family claimed he had just departed a Cepep jobsite when he was approached by police who questioned him and the other people whom he was with. The police allowed the others to leave but detained Rodgers and took him to the police station, where he was allegedly severely beaten. He has since been hospitalised in a critical condition and under police guard.
His relatives showed Alleyne photos of the injuries he sustained. Rodgers reportedly suffered a broken jaw, a displaced windpipe, swollen face and the loss of a tooth, among other injuries. Relatives told Alleyne that the doctor’s report revealed that Rodgers may lose sight in one eye. Alleyne called on acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams to launch a full and fair investigation into the abuse and incarceration of a citizen for no apparent reason.