The High Court in Guyana has ruled in favor of a West Bank Demerara man, awarding him G$1.6 million in damages for unlawful arrest and detention by the Guyana Police Force. The judgment was delivered on June 12, 2026, by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, who determined that the arrest of Mikhail Miggins on November 14, 2024, at the Wales Police Station violated his constitutional right to personal liberty.
The case arose from a police intervention where officers informed Miggins that he was wanted for the criminal offense of fraudulent conversion. This arrest was based on a commercial complaint alleging that Miggins had accepted payment for a custom furniture set that was never delivered. However, Justice Morris-Ramlall concluded that the matter was a private civil issue concerning a breach of contract, rather than a criminal offense.
The court found that the police acted without reasonable and probable cause, stating that a commercial default does not justify criminal processing or detention. While the court upheld Miggins’ claim of false imprisonment, it dismissed additional claims related to assault, battery, malicious prosecution, and unlawful deprivation of property due to insufficient evidence.
In determining the compensation amount, the judge noted that Miggins was held in custody for four days without valid justification. The court highlighted the lack of evidence indicating that he posed a flight risk or that there was a valid reason to deny him bail during the initial hours of his detention.
As a result, Justice Morris-Ramlall ordered the Attorney General, representing the state, to pay Miggins G$1.6 million in general damages along with accrued interest. Throughout the proceedings, Miggins was represented by attorney Darren Wade. This ruling comes amid growing scrutiny of police practices in Guyana, with calls for improved training for law enforcement personnel to better respect citizens’ civil liberties.
Source: hgptv.com
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