By Daniel DaCosta
Stabroek News
June 9, 2001

Thousands of Corentyne residents trekked some three miles aback of the Albion public road yesterday to pay their last respects to Mohamed Shamshudeen Haniff who died when police opened fire on a riotous crowd outside the police station in the area.

The shooting last Monday culminated a day of mainly peaceful protest which however turned ugly as darkness fell on the Corentyne Coast. Ironically, yesterday also saw the handing over of a 4X4 vehicle to the police to help it combat the crime wave that Berbicians were protesting at.

The large crowd of mourners many of them women braved the broiling midday sun outside Haniff's High Reef Squatting area, Albion home to view the body and listen to tributes paid by a number of religious and community leaders and relatives. Just after 2.00 pm the cortege accompanied by residents on foot, bicycles, motorcycles and in cars, mini-buses and trucks left his home and travelled another mile to the Albion Masjid where a short religious ceremony was conducted. It then proceeded along the Albion Estate road and unto the Corentyne Highway forcing police ranks to control traffic at the junction. For several minutes traffic along the Corentyne Highway in the vicinity of Albion was disrupted as the long line of vehicles crawled en route to the final resting place.

The service and procession were however peaceful with no reported incidence of misconduct. Among those attending the funeral were Ministers Shaik Baksh and Dr Leslie Ramsammy, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar and senior regional party officials.

Meanwhile President Bharrat Jagdeo returned to the region yesterday afternoon to continue discussions with the 40?member committee established on Wednesday to look at ways and means of curbing criminal activity on the Corentyne. Shortly before meeting with the committee at 6:00 pm, the Head of State met some media operatives at State House for a briefing on his visit. According to the President, he will be meeting with residents today in several villages on the Corentyne and with their representatives to work out strategies to tackle the crime situation in these areas.

According to the President, the 40?member committee at its first meeting explored various areas including staffing and the need to recruit more persons into the police force "since there are too few people in the force at the moment. We discussed transportation and increasing the special unit operations in Berbice, (and changing) the attitude of some members of the force on the Corentyne and the traffic situation. We also spoke about Community Policing which is very important to many people and about them being armed similarly to other groups in the country so that communities are not left defenceless."

Responding to questions from Stabroek News, President Jagdeo said "we have been dedicating more and more resources to the Police Force and this will continue. The police operate under severe material constraints but what I have a problem with is the attitude at some stations and we have to work on this. Public servants must understand that they are there to serve the people and they must behave that way", he remarked.

Asked about his position on the attack on Magistrate Krishendat Persaud which included the destruction of his car and the attack on Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj during this week's protests at Albion, the Head of State said "I am on record as saying that it was wrong to beat the Magistrate and to attack the Police Station...you don't solve problems by those things. I also said it was wrong to beat innocent people at Buxton." The president was also asked whether the perpetrators of Monday's and Tuesday's violence will be prosecuted if and when they are identified. He said "the police have a process and they will go through the process". On the question of whether or not the situation this past week on the Corentyne could have been averted by regional officials reporting earlier what was brewing on the ground on the Corentyne, Jagdeo noted that "I have heard that view and I will be examining it...I will be looking into it".

Later a Pathfinder 4x4 Jeep was handed over to "B" Division Commander Asst. Commissioner Paul Slowe by Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj to be used for quick response measures. According to Gajraj, government was in the process of acquiring another three to four vehicles to be used for similar purposes in Berbice and these should be available within another week. According to Slowe, the vehicle will put into patrol duty immediately in the Albion area. The vehicle, he said, "will go a long way towards easing some of the difficulties we have been encountering."