Boathouse was attacked, no police action -customs officer -$1.8B in revenue went uncollected Stabroek News August 18, 1999 The enquiry into incidents during the 55-day public service strike yesterday heard testimony of an attack on the Customs and Excise Boathouse by strikers and of around $1.8B in customs revenue going uncollected. The Commission of Enquiry at the Public Service Appellate Tribunal on Brickdam also heard how a female Customs and Excise Officer who was manhandled by a crowd failed in two attempts to get police to come to her aid. This testimony was supplied by Jennifer Fowler, a patrol officer attached to the Customs and Excise Department, and one of three Customs employees who took the stand yesterday afternoon. Led by counsel to the Commission, Mortimer Cumberbatch, Fowler told the court that her manhandling came at the hands of a large crowd which invaded the Customs Boathouse on June 3rd. At that time she and another customs officer, identified only as a Mr Thomas had been on duty. She testified that this crowd had been preceded by a smaller one numbering around 15 and included a colleague whom she identified as Simone Herod. Herod, who Fowler said appeared angry, announced that she was there to "shut the boathouse down" and claimed that the two were impeding her cause by working. She was then confronted by Thomas, who according to Fowler, asked her to have the other persons leave since they did not belong there Herod was said to have become vociferous, shouting words to the effect that it wasn't right for the two of them to be working when others were outside struggling. Thomas next ordered her out and, according to Fowler, she left and joined a large noisy crowd that was outside. It was at this point that Fowler said she made her first attempt to contact the Brickdam Police Station (Impact Base). She reported that she related the situation as it was developing and that the female who answered the phone promised to send over someone. Fowler testified that no such person had showed up by the time she was forced from the building some hours later. She resumed her testimony by reporting that someone outside opened the door to the boathouse and that a crowd of about 30 persons surged into office. Although Fowler reported that she herself was not scared, she did note that her colleague Thomas retrieved the station revolver and strapped it on. Among the members of the crowd were said to be some Customs officers who, Fowler cautioned, were not stationed at the boathouse. Some of these however were said to have reacted strongly at the sight of the gun. One Mr Parks was said to have accused Thomas of "pulling gun pon we", after which he grabbed Thomas by the shirt and shoved him. Fowler then recalled that the woman she had identified as Herod grabbed her keys which were on a nearby desk and, addressing her by name said, "Jenny you got to leave." According to Fowler, she was propelled all the way down the steps and also had persons thump her on her head and pull on her hair. She also testified to seeing another woman pulling a telephone in the office out of its jack and throwing it in a corner in the room. In response to the judge's questions, Fowler admitted that she was not afraid during this incident as, by working during the strike, she had braced herself for such an eventuality. She however told the court that she proceeded to Brickdam Police station in a taxi to make what would be her second attempt to obtain help. Fowler said, after being directed to the Impact base, she identified herself to a Police Officer as the woman who had called from the boathouse. She said she then requested a police presence and then asked a Police Officer why no one had been sent. According to Fowler the officer, who kept his back to her during the conversation, told her that a policeman had been sent but that when she disputed this, the officer ignored her. According to Fowler, no record was apparently made of her report. This testimony prompted head of the enquiry, Justice Carl Singh to direct one of several police representatives in the courtroom to see that investigations were made into the incident. He ordered the representatives to ensure that all efforts were made to have a police officer present today to explain the report, which he deemed as "disturbing". Meanwhile, in earlier testimony given yesterday afternoon, Comptroller of Customs, Clarence Chue had told the court that he had received reports about the incident and that the matter had been reported to the police. Summing up the effect of the strike on the Customs and Excise Department, the Comptroller said that the workings of his department had been severely affected. Some $1.8 billion in revenue was said to have gone uncollected during the strike since according to Chue, some customs officers withheld their services and a large number of functions were disrupted. Chue identified some specific areas affected including the transit sheds whose owners closed them a few weeks into the strike so that even those few customs officers who were on the job and willing to work were unable to. The enforcement and anti-smuggling unit of Customs also suffered as a result of the absence of several officers. He also revealed that at the New Amsterdam Customs house, the entire staff had been on strike while in Georgetown, very little could be done, also because of the absence of some staff. The Cheddi Jagan International Airport was also affected since some 60-70% of the relevant staff were not on the job. Turning his testimony to specific incidents that occurred during the strike, Chue recalled being blocked by a crowd of workers outside Customs' Main Street office. According to Chue, the incident happened some 10 days into the strike when he reported at around 0815 hrs to work and was confronted with the sight of the crowd which turned up most days at the office. Chue said that he recognised some members of the crowd as customs officers. The Comptroller said that he was able to bypass these officers but that the other persons formed a human barricade and stopped him from entering despite his request to be allowed entry. At the time a Police presence was said to be maintained nearby but Chue noted that they did not seem to be able to be of much help. Chue also recalled receiving a report about a crowd of persons pelting a customs officer outside the John Fernandes Transit Shed on May 18. The customs officer in question, Mohammed Khalil, took the stand after Chue to testify that he and another officer had been on duty on that day when a crowd of persons came into view at around 1345 hrs. According to Khalil, the crowd, numbering around 100 persons was chanting "We gon close them down" and "No work". The crowd, whom he described as very hostile had some fellow customs officers in their midst whom Khalil said he recognised. Mohammed told the court that when the members of the crowd caught sight of him, they began issuing threats to kill him and burn down his house. Khalil said that he asked nearby Police officers to provide protection for him but that they replied that they "could not guarantee his safety" because the crowd was too large. Subsequently, three female members of the crowd were said to have lit a small fire and then danced around it chanting "We gun wuk pun Khalil". The customs officer said that he then took a photograph of the crowd but that after this, they then became more hostile and began pelting him with potatoes. A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples