Principal Legal Advisor at the Attorney General Chambers, Ronetta Sargent has firmly rejected allegations of constitutional rights violations during a police search at 86 BB Eccles, the family home of social media activist Melissa Atwell, on September 17, asserting that the operation was conducted lawfully based on reasonable suspicion of narcotics offences.
In a letter addressed to Darren Wade, the attorney representing Atwell with seven others, Sargent explained that a magistrate at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates Court issued a search warrant based on reasonable grounds for suspecting an offence against the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substance Control Act.
She stated that police had reason to believe that evidence of the commission of an offence could be found at the premises.
Sargent detailed that the police executed the warrant between 16:00 hrs and 16:50 hrs on the same day, adhering strictly to legal protocols.
She highlighted that the lead officer on the scene specifically asked the individual identifying herself as “Debbie,” the main occupant, whether she was satisfied with the conduct of the officers during the search.
Debbie is the mother of Atwell. She affirmed that she was satisfied, and this interaction, along with much of the warrant’s execution, was captured on video.
An original copy of the search warrant was left with her for reference.
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The Principal Legal Adviser emphasised that investigations regarding the matter are ongoing and that any claims of unlawful conduct are strenuously denied.
She reassured that the police had no prior knowledge of “Debbie” or her connections, stressing that such information would have been immaterial to the case at hand.
Sargent reaffirmed the Guyana Police Force’s commitment to performing its statutory duties without fear or favour, ensuring compliance with the law and the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
She said that any potential legal actions taken against the police would be robustly defended and included a copy of the search warrant in his response.
