3 December 1998 Edition

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Crowe slams racist Gardai

By Michael Pierse

Dublin Sinn Fein representative, Sean Crowe, has termed as ``abhorrent and flagrantly racist behaviour from the Gardai'' the continuing harassment campaign against Irish resident of three years, Belmondo Wantete and his family.

Belmondo is an electrical engineer from the Congo, now living in the Crumlin area with his wife Delly and two young children, one of whom was born in Ireland. He and Delly hope to take courses to improve their English and job prospects. However, their efforts to integrate into Irish society have been severely hampered by Garda harassment and brutality.

A newly founded group of concerned residents in Wantete's locality, ``Residents Against Racism'' - who are dealing specifically with this case - have released an account of the harassment.

According to the account, on 1 May at 3am Gardai arrived at the Wantete family home. One plain clothed Gardai forced a gun through the letter box and said ``I'm going to kill you if you don't open the door''. They then broke in, hurling such racist abuse as ``you black nigger'' and ``you black bastard''.

Wantete, who was naked at the time, was beaten while his two children were dragged from their beds and the house searched. Gardai, who detained him in Sundrive Road Garda Station for twelve hours, imitated monkey noises and told Belmondo to do the same. He was then denied access to a solicitor or interpreter and subsequently detained for a week, until bail was arranged. No charges arose from the raid, though Wantete was charged with assaulting a Garda in his house.

On Wednesday 3 June at 7.05am, two uniformed Garda arrived at Wantete's house with a search warrant. His solicitor cannot establish who these Garda are or their reasons for taking such an action.

One week later, Wantete was stopped and brought to the local station by two Crumlin Gardai. According to Belmondo, these Gardai had known his identity, but still insisted on seeing identification, which his wife brought to the station. While incarcerated he was strip searched and subjected again to racial abuse. He was then charged with ``having insufficient identification'', under little known laws from 1946 and 1938. The charge was later dismissed in court.

On 16 June, Belmondo learned of three additional charges from the first occasion in May, incorporating a second assualt charge, breach of the peace and having a dangerous implement in his home - a large pestle for pounding grain, which his brother in law had brought from the Congo. The latter two charges were then dropped.

Yet another incident occurred on Sunday 6 September, when Belmondo was taken from his house and detained in Sundrive Road Garda Station, under a warrant which was not in his name. Wantete insisted that he was not the individual named on the warrant. His solicitor arrived at the station with identification, but the Gardai still refused to release him.

Sean Crowe conveyed his deep concern at this harassment and at Wantete's prospects on the ``spurious'' assault charges he is likely to face next February.

``I am calling on the Minister for Justice, John O'Donoghue, to fully investigate this disgraceful, unacceptable behaviour. Such racist, ignorant and disturbing abuse of power cannot be tolerated amongst a force which is expected to protect rather than intimidate''.

The ``Residents Against Racism'' campaign is contactable at RAR, PO Box 6371, Crumlin, Dublin 12 and would be grateful of any assistance people can offer.

An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland