When Edgar F. G. Came to Havana from the east he did not imagine that, once established and employed, he would have to activate his imagination and take on challenges that involve legal disputes. He took seriously his duties as an officer of the Municipal Housing Office of Cotorro, but that little post nearly landed him to jail.
In a recent trial, Edgar attended as the defendant accused of abuse of authority, although his defense attorney showed he did not harm the victim nor seek personal benefits to evict her from building, which she entered wrongly together with her young son and her elderly mother.
In a recent trial, Edgar attended as the defendant accused of abuse of authority, although his defense attorney showed he did not harm the victim nor seek personal benefits to evict her from building, which she entered wrongly together with her young son and her elderly mother.
At the trial it emerged that the zealous guardian went so far as to sleep in the house so that no one would to anything bad to it. He did not imagine that a homeless woman would take advantage of a slip to sneak in with her son and mother. When she entered the house, Edgar visited her and demanded she leave the house.
But the lady did not go into reasons, claiming that she had no place to return to. Edgar reported it to his superiors, who would blame him. He visited the occupants a second time and told them the same thing. He went to the police station, where they warned him that there was “a housing problem.”
Facing a crossroads, E.F.G. adopted an unusual solution: he entered the house through one of the windows, invading it with his pet, a Belgian sheepdog. Coerced by the beast and its guardian, women and children left on the run.
Such a peculiar solution had its pros and cons. The house was cleared, the officer was charged for alleged abuse of authority and they opened a file on the woman as a social case, being sent to a communal shelter, hoping that someday they could move her to a house, that she could occupy before another family usurps the place.
For Edgar, the story also ended on a happy note, was acquitted of the crime of abuse of power and reassigned as a custodian at the Municipal Department of Housing, where he awaits other nocturnal challenges.
March 24 2011
