The family of 16-year-old Altaf King says they have been told that they would not be permitted to witness his post-mortem examination and they are concerned about this.
King, of Corriverton, Berbice died in uncertain circumstances on Thursday after his motorbike ended up in an accident. It is alleged that he was being chased by the police at the time.
Kiskadee Watch spoke with King’s family yesterday. They said that officials from the Ministry of Health, the Mayor of Corriverton and several other individuals visited them on Saturday and advised that they would not be allowed inside during the post-mortem examination.
Marcie King, the teenager’s grandmother and primary caregiver, said she only learned from Altaf’s mother that the body had already been handed over to police.
“His mother call yesterday and say she handed over the body to the police and that when they finish the post mortem they gonna hand over back the body to her,” Marcie King told Kiskadee Watch.
Asked whether she or other relatives would be allowed to witness the examination, King said she remained in the dark about the entire process.
She recalled Saturday’s visit, saying, “They say we cannot go in we have to deh outside and they are gonna tell us what happened to him (Altaf).”
The family said they were confused by the decision and noted that Altaf’s father is expected to return home in time for the post-mortem and intends to address the matter.
The concerns come days after police officers visited the family following the teen’s death and urged them to allow investigators to carry out their work. In a video circulating on social media, officers cautioned the family against believing rumours surrounding the incident.
“A lot of people gonna come to you gonna throw a narrative….a story to you and tell you ok this is what and this is what,” one officer told the family.
During that exchange, relatives questioned officers about the motorcycle Altaf had been riding at the time of the incident, asking whether they were aware it had previously been seized by police before being returned.
“Were you aware that the bike was lodged at your station in the month of April?” a family member asked.
An officer responded, “It was on record that it was lodged.”
The family then asked, “Do you know that they took money and gave the bike back to the same rider knowing that he did not carry a driver licence?”
The officers remained silent for several seconds before one officer quietly replied, “I did not know.”
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