APR 24

A well known St. George's trafficker has vowed to take legal action against the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) for what she described as acts of police brutality and abuse of power.

Forty-four year old Alice Forteau who lives on Green, Street in St. George's told reporters that she was subjected to degrading treatment by police officers who searched her home last week Saturday morning at around 5:45 a.m.

The officers swooped down on the trafficker as part of their probe into the escape of convicted murderer Sheldon "Dutch" Bain. Forteau said that she was speaking to her husband on the telephone when she noticed two police vehicles with members of the Special Services Unit (SSU) and other officers pull up outside the house.

She spoke of one of the officers coming up to her house and telling her that he had a warrant to search her premises. She said that she inquired from the officer what the warrant was for and he informed her to put down the telephone because he wanted to speak to her.

According to Forteau, she was about to tell her husband that she will get back to him later when the officer grabbed the telephone from her hand and allegedly began cuffing her in the head.

"He stood up on my feet, he pushed me and demanded that I open my vault. I told him I will but he cannot see the combination. He insisted that I open the vault at once", she said. The female trafficker accused the police officer of threatening her with his firearm.

She said that she began to cry and as her daughter and son-in-law were approaching the house, the other officers on the outside ordered them to leave at once. The lawmen reportedly requested Forteau to accompany them to the station.

She was later arrested and charged with using Obscene Language, Resisting Arrest and Assault on the Police before she was placed on bail. There are reports that Forteau was questioned by the police extensively on the whereabouts of "Dutch" but insisted that she had no knowledge.

This newspaper was told that the female trafficker had attacked the police officers and began using obscene language to them during the operation conducted at her home.

It was also alleged that while the officers were serving the search warrant on Forteau, she reportedly grabbed one of the officers by his collar and assaulted him.