Insights into the Baaghee mind: CoNI interview with a policeman who mutinied

P: Perhaps because I burst into tears. Perhaps. It wasn’t that far away, you know the circle near the flag? I was sitting on the buru, on this side of the flag.

Fawaz: It’s an SO thing — this isolation.

P: No. No. That’s not why. I wasn’t intentionally isolated—it was also the best place to sit at the time.

Fawaz: But if such an order had come to the SO guys there, they would have let you know, wouldn’t they?

P: No, they didn’t notify me.

Fawaz: The guys who went to Artificial Beach from Republic Square, when did they return? How long were they away?

P: Roughly I guess fifteen to twenty minutes.

Fawaz: They were back within 15 minutes

P: Yes.

Fawaz: Did they all come together, or in separate groups?

P: No. Some people came walking from one direction, others in a truck. Those who managed to leave on the trucks returned sooner. Those who left first, from what I know, only one or two trucks managed to leave. People who left on them returned earlier than others who walked and ran.

Fawaz: We have heard some of them went to MDP Haruge. Did you have knowledge of this?

P: After others returned we heard some people had been there, but I don’t know who—police or military, or people in plainclothes—I just don’t know. What I learned was that some people had gone and destroyed it.

Fawaz: What did they say when they returned?

P: When they returned, we had a headcount to check if everyone was there.

Fawaz: On orders from someone?

P: No. No.

Fawaz: You just did it?

P: It’s our responsibility to make sure all our guys are here. We attended to that duty immediately, did a headcount. Then we sat down and just stayed there quietly.

Fawaz: Some people were missing even in the first count?

P: People, there were lots of people by then, with the Capital [Police] guys the atmosphere had changed into a crowded one. At this stage it wasn’t easy to do [the headcount].

Yasir: Just to the Artificial Beach for example you wouldn’t know about people going to MDP Haruge . They only left for the Artificial Beach after they had attacked MDP Haruge. You may have heard something about this on the radio. You know that later, too. Even if you believe that it wasn’t a problem to go to the Artificial Beach to settle the fighting, what do you think of the attack of MDP Haruge? How do you think it happened?

P: Really, I believe it shouldn’t have been done. Nobody’s property should be damaged. Also, it’s not a good thing to do.

Yasir: Things became turbulent because of this? Do you think?

P: No. I don’t think things became turbulent because of that. It’s not a thing to do. I don’t think that’s why things became turbulent, but it’s part of it.