Town Clerk orders removal of security from City Mayor’s rural residence

Last Updated on Tuesday, 17 January 2023, 10:27 by Denis Chabrol

Town Clerk of the City of Georgetown Candace Nelson has withdrawn City constables from Mayor Ubraj Narine’s current residence at Pigeon Island, East Coast Demerara, saying that they are not allowed to operate outside Georgetown.

“The Council has no jurisdiction outside of the City and if anything happens to the staff while they are in Pigeon Island, their lives are at risk because they should not be there in the first place. They are City Police and the City does not extend to Pigeon Island,” she told Demerara Waves Online News.

Asked whether his bodyguards have been also taken away, Ms Nelson said “no”, “he still has his bodyguards.”

Ms Nelson explained that the Mayor is being provided security at his Lamaha Street, Georgetown address which was given as his place of residence. She said she was unsure how persons were assigned to the Pigeon Island residence but that that was the second time within two years that she had to instruct that the City Police be removed from that East Coast location. “They have no authority to be out of the City,” she added.

But Mr Narine on Tuesday said he would be holding Chief Constable Virjanan Gafur and the Town Clerk responsible if he or his family is harmed. He said the issue would be taken to the City Council for a decision to be made. “I wish to inform you that it has put my life and my family’s life in danger at the hands of yourself and Mr Virjanan Gafur,” he said in his January 16, 2022 letter to the Town Clerk.

Up to mid Tuesday morning, the Town Clerk said she did not receive the Mayor’s letter.

Mayor Narine, in his correspondence, accused Ms Nelson of either taking such action on her own or was instigated by others. He said the Council was unaware of such a “repeated and malicious act”. “There was no form of communication or engagement done prior to the withdrawal of my security,” he said.

The Town Clerk said she had previously instructed that the City Constables be removed from the Mayor’s Pigeon Island residence, but apparently Mr Narine had made his own arrangements for the law enforcement personnel to return unknowing to her.

The Mayor told Demerara Waves Online News that his house on Lamaha Street was under repairs and that no other Town Clerk has ever withdrawn his security during his now five-year long tenure as Chief Citizen. He believed that he was being victimised because he had formally questioned the spending of a few hundred dollars.

He said advice on the jurisdiction of City Constables outside of Georgetown had been sought from the then Police Commissioner Leslie James.