BIBI ASSAULTED BY SPPF FANATIC BUT CHARGED BY POLICE

Former DP MNA and senior official of the DP, George Bibi, was the victim of an assault causing him grievous bodily harm while at the Marine Charter Association club on Sunday 12 June. Bibi had just arrived at the club and was in conversation with the barman when he was set upon by a man identified as Cliff Loizeau and four other men.

Loizeau, a well known SPPF supporter who has been granted a license to operate a security guard business from his home at Beau Vallon, attacked Bibi the first time at the bar inside the Marine Charter Association building. Later he attacked Bibi a second time outside the building but this time he was joined by four of his employees. Loizeau’s company has a contract to provide security guards to the premises.

As Bibi was leaving the premises of the Marine Charter Association after the intervention of a few regular customers of the club, Loizeau shouted for everyone to hear “This is just the beginning”.

Loizeau, whose brother was elected as a Member of the national Assembly for Bel Ombre in 1988 on the SPPF ticket, is no stranger to political violence. During the last National Assembly election in December 2001 he and a group of his employees together with some other men, identified as members of the State House security, attacked the SNP Assembly member Colin Dayer, while campaigning in Kanada  at Beau Vallon. Complaints to the police proved futile as Loizeau seemingly was able to intimidate the handful of police officers at the Beau Vallon police station.

This time Loizeau was in his usual aggressive self. When  Bibi arrived at the Central Police station to make a complaint against Loizeau, the latter was already there and without any warning set upon Bibi again in the presence of the police.

While Bibi was making his complaint against Loizeau, he was given the clear impression that the police was going to lock him up and charge him for being idle and disorderly. After entering his complaint Bibi was taken to the English River clinic by the police officer on duty to attend to his injuries, which required an x-ray done at the main hospital.

But upon his return to the police station, Bibi said that he found that the whole incident was now being handled by Superintendent Bastienne, who, it appears, had not been on duty when he first arrived at the police station. The superintendent who was in plain clothes handed Bibi a charge sheet alleging idle and disorderly conduct. But the charge sheet did not stipulate as to where the alleged offence took place and when.

However, Bibi was bound over to report to the police at 10 am the next day, Monday. When Bibi arrived at the police station as the appointed time, he was asked to give a statement and fingerprinted.

Meanwhile, Loizeau has been set free and remains free to pursue his violent behaviour and political thuggery.

June 23, 2006