…persons detained past 72 hour detention periodAttorneys, prisoners, family members and other prominent people in society have expressed their dissatisfaction at the manner in which officers are abusing the 72-hour detention period. The lawmen are being blamed for unlawfully holding persons in their captivity beyond such time.It is said that officers,Wholesale China Jerseys, for their benefit, would keep persons held on a crime suspicion, without releasing them even after the holding period had expired.The matter had been brought up several times during the past week after a number of lawyers expressed their disgust with the policemen when they represented their clients in court. The lawyers had explained to the Chief Magistrate that their attention had been drawn to the issue after their clients complained of the long detention period they had experienced.On one occasion,Cheap China Jerseys, lawyer Vic Puran disclosed his disappointment at the matter saying that the police insisted on detaining persons past the stipulated holding time. He urged that the issue be addressed as it is against the law,Stitched NFL Jerseys, and against the citizen’s rights to hold them against their will after the law had stated it was time that they be released.Puran explained that he had written to the Crime Chief telling him that he can not be in such a position while officers are continuing to ignore the constitution.The lawyer told the Crime Chief in his letter that he was of the view that the police are making a distinction between reading a charge to a detained person and bringing them before the court.? The law practitioner said he does not have the energy to go to court for a declaration on the issue.The state has its law officers, the DPP and the attorney general; they must give directions, the lawyer said.Another Lawyer, Nigel Hughes, said briefly that he believed the detention period should have been left at 24 hours and that the officers would have had to apply to the courts for the holding time to be extended. He also said that the period is supposed to be used so that officers investigating a matter would be able to do their jobs while ensuring that the suspect does not escape the jurisdiction.The stipulated 72 hour period was also for the suspect not to interfere with the investigations.Hughes said that the police are detaining persons over the stipulated time and are justifying their actions with excuses.When attorney at law Gordon Gilhuys came to the magistrates’ court in defence of his client he introduced his defence with the opening statement “The police think they could do whatever they want and get away with it.”The lawyer continued that his client and his wife had been detained for more than 72 hours and were not being told much about their offences.The lawyer stressed to the magistrate that it appeared to be that when funds are available anything is possible in Guyana,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, referring to the police officers whom he implied detained his client beyond the stipulated time seemingly because of “the depths of the complainants’ pockets.”Gilhuys added, “They think what they’re doing is correct.” He remarked that even the Attorney General had spoken out against the act saying that the police force was abusing the 72 hour right.In July,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, Attorney General Senior Counsel Charles Ramson had described the 72-hour detention period as a little disturbing and added that he was not happy with the misuse of the approach.A retired Judge in an interview on the same matter had told the paper that he saw the arbitrary detention of individuals by police as an abuse of power. He said the period was intended for serious cases where the police had reasonable suspicion about a person’s involvement in a crime.The former Judge urged that the period was never intended for officers to misuse their power to lock up persons they had personal issues with or those to whom they wished to prove a point.Such an act is in breach of the constitution,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, and a person’s liberties are enshrined in the constitution, the man declared.Lawyer Khemraj Ramjattan had said that he challenged an arbitrary detention of three men and won a judgment in court after it was mentioned that it was difficult to pursue legal actions in such cases. Ramjattan had also appealed to other lawyers to do the same but made it known that many lawyers were not willing to enter a court room without a fee.As such the ordinary man is made to suffer. The police will continue to pick up persons and detain them with the assurance that nothing will be done to them. He rested with the words, “Only in Guyana.”