So since we had no luck with Special Branch, we asked Southside Commander Chester Williams about the Ahmad raid but he avoided all our questions saying he was not here when the incident occurred and he simply does not know the details.
ACP Chester Williams- O. C., Eastern South Division
"I am not aware of that situation so I cannot give you any briefing on that."
Emanuel Pech
"Although they were taken to the Racoon Street police station sir?"
ACP Chester Williams- O. C., Eastern South Division
"I am not aware of the situation I had been out of Belize City since Monday and I came back last night."
Emanuel Pech
"But if the situation is as they claim whereby their religious items were taken by police, I'm talking about their holy book which is their Quran and other religious objects of that nature. It seems that this would be a case or this is their reporting to be a case of religious racism in a way whereby a group of members of the Muslim community were all hauled into the police station and all these holy objects were taken. Could you comment to us in that regard just from hearing what these people are claiming?"
ACP Chester Williams- O. C., Eastern South Division
"I am not aware of their complaints, I know on that day I was called by many people and I said to them I do not know of the situation and I do not know, I was not here. But if indeed their Quran was taken away I'm sure the police will return it to them because the police have no legal authority to take away their Quran; that's a part of their religion and I'm guess you were trying to say they are being discriminated upon on the basis of their race or their religion and I cannot speak to that because I do not know the circumstances of their detention if they were indeed detained."
Emanuel Pech
"But you can confirm they were not charged?"
ACP Chester Williams- O. C., Eastern South Division
"I don't know."
The Ahmad family plans to file a lawsuit against police.
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