Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh has rejected claims that police have failed to communicate with the family of critically injured 26-year-old Prakash Persaud, saying he has personally engaged several of his relatives and remains committed to ensuring a fair and transparent investigation into the Fairfield, Mahaica accident.
Speaking with Kiskadee Watch yesterday, Singh said Persaud’s mother and several other family members met with him at the Traffic Headquarters earlier this week, while he has also been in communication with one of Persaud’s brothers in the days following the accident.
The Traffic Chief’s comments follow concerns previously raised by relatives that they were not receiving adequate information about the investigation into the August 21 accident, which left Persaud critically injured.
“Who I have not reached out back to? The family?” Singh questioned when asked about the family’s concerns.
“We have to know which one of the relatives we are speaking to.”
Singh said he has been speaking with multiple members of Persaud’s family, including his biological mother and siblings.
“Only yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Kush and at least three of her children were at my office at Traffic Headquarters in the presence of the Regional Traffic Officer of Region Five, where the accident occurred, along with five other traffic officers from different regions,” Singh said.
He added that he had also been communicating by telephone with one of Persaud’s brothers and had been providing updates based on the information available to him.
“I would have been on the phone two days ago and the days prior with the very brother, sibling of Prakash Persaud, updating him as to what I knew, how the investigations are going, and inquiring naturally as to how he is,” Singh explained.
According to the Traffic Chief, police have also visited Persaud at the hospital.
“When you take all of these into consideration, it demonstrates more than commitment. It demonstrates more than my intention to see a fair, precise, integrity-based investigation in reference to the accident,” he said.
Singh said he could not accept allegations that the police were not communicating with the family without clarity on which relatives were making those claims, noting that Persaud has several siblings and that investigators had been engaging multiple family members.
The family has since confirmed to Kiskadee Watch that police have reached out to them.
Singh also acknowledged that there were concerns about the conduct of some police officers during the initial stages of the investigation.
Relatives had previously alleged that they were prevented from recording at the accident scene and were chased away by police officers.
“All the procedures were followed. Yes, there were instances where the police might have been unprofessional,” Singh said.
He noted that the concerns raised about persons being chased away from the scene and prevented from recording were addressed during the meeting with Persaud’s relatives and the officers who were present.
“All of those things were dealt with yesterday in the presence of Ms. Kush, his other siblings, and all of the police who were present here,” Singh said.
The Traffic Chief said he has instructed that communication between the Regional Traffic Officer and Persaud’s relatives be improved going forward.
“I told them in future, the lines of communication have to be very clear, that the Regional Traffic Officer must be accessible by the relatives and he must communicate with them as often as possible,” Singh said.
Singh had previously told Kiskadee Watch that he would personally look into the investigation after noting apparent “inconsistencies” surrounding the handling of the matter.
The accident occurred on August 21 at Fairfield, Mahaica, Region Five, and involved Persaud, also known as “Baby”, who was riding an electric scooter, and a black, fully tinted 4×4 pickup bearing registration number PAL 7721, driven by Samantha Reid.
Reid is the President of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chief Executive Officer of Sawa Investment Inc.
Police had previously confirmed that Reid was placed on $100,000 cash bail pending further investigations and that a breathalyser test was conducted, with the result being below the prescribed alcohol limit.
Reid, in a statement issued following the accident, said Persaud swerved into the path of her vehicle. She denied consuming alcohol, said she fully cooperated with the police investigation and expressed concern for Persaud’s wellbeing.
Persaud’s family has maintained that his injuries are serious. In their most recent update, relatives said he remained on oxygen and continued to experience difficulty breathing, although they reported some improvement as he was able to drink liquids. They also said his left leg was placed in plaster following further medical examinations.
Singh said his approach to road traffic investigations does not depend on the profile of those involved.
“One of the things I always tell the public, I assign equal importance to every single accident,” he said.
“Because I think it’s unfair for somebody to be impacted by an accident and us, the police, who have the necessary lawful authority to do the needful, pretend as if we are on a high horse.”
The Traffic Chief urged members of the public and the media to continue raising concerns or seeking clarification where necessary, maintaining that he remains accessible and committed to ensuring that investigations are conducted properly.
“I am not on a high horse, I am walking on my two feet. Talk to me,” Singh said.
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