Rodney Moncur Tells Of Arrest
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
RODNEY Moncur, human rights activist, says he is relieved to have not been a victim of police brutality – which he believes is common – after his arrest over the weekend.
Speaking with The Tribune yesterday, the former DNA hopeful said he was terrified of his well being after a senior Cyber Intelligence Unit officer took him into custody from his office at Market Street on Saturday morning.
According to Mr Moncur, authorities authorised his arrest after autopsy photographs of Jamie Smith, a man who died in police custody last month, and the buttocks of another man who claimed to have been beaten by police were posted on his Facebook page. The photos have since been removed, although Mr Moncur claimed to have no knowledge of how they were taken down.
Mr Moncur added that police accused him of “terrorising the nation and libelling the Royal Bahamas Police Force.” Police also believe that he broke into the Princess Margaret Hospital’s morgue sometime this month to take the pictures, Mr Moncur said.
“Every time that I was left alone in that room,” Mr Moncur said, “I prayed because just prior to him taking me in custody I was able to alert friends and colleagues that I was being taken.
“They held me for five hours and I did not eat. They offered me food and water but I did not take it because I was scared they would poison me.
“But I believe that somebody is being wicked. I wholelheartedly deny breaking into the morgue and I am too old to be breaking into PMH.”
Mr Mocur told The Tribune that had Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade asked him to remove the photos he would have. He insisted that his arrest was unwarranted.
When contacted, Assistant Commissioner of Police Leon Bethel, said he was not able to speak on the matter after being posted at the CARIFTA games all weekend.
April 02, 2013
Tribune 242
