Arsonists get five years for Health Ministry blaze
June 28, 2013, By KNews, Filed Under News, Source
Magistrate Judy Latchman yesterday imposed five-year sentences on the two men convicted for the fiery destruction of the Ministry of Health’s head office and annex in 2009.
Family and friends of the duo, Clayton Westford and Colin Jones, both 24, who gathered outside the Georgetown Magistrates’ court yesterday, couldn’t help but express their grief as they yelled at the court and onlooking officers following the sentencing.
“There is no justice in Guyana, none at all. How they gonna do this to these poor boys?”
Colin Jones
During yesterday’s proceedings, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy (who was at the time Minister of Health), was called to the stand once more to submit the final evidence for the case, and recap briefly some of the important details that would have been brought out in trial.
When Prosecutor Vishnu Hunte asked the Minister about the estimated damage done to the building, he estimated it to be between 1.2 and 1.5 billion Guyana dollars.
It was revealed to the court by Dr. Ramsammy that due to the fire a lot of information that was of critical importance to the nation was destroyed.
“Various kinds of records were lost. Some related to human resources and personnel records of employees at the Ministry of Health, hospitals and health centers across the country. In addition to personnel records, there were records belonging to professional examinations done by the councils at the Ministry of Health at the time.
There were three councils that the Ministry housed and these included the Guyana Nursing Council, The Guyana Medical Council and The Guyana Pharmacy Council. In all, these licencing bodies would have maintained records of health professionals for doctors, nurses and pharmacists. In addition, these councils would have received complaints from the public and would have investigated these. They might have taken action, disciplinary or otherwise, but even records of these have been destroyed. Other records included financial and administrative, for example, procurement and payments. Further, epidemiological and surveillance for illness and diseases records were also lost and those were very important records,” the Minister testified.
The Magistrate then asked Colin Jones if he had anything to say, and to this he retorted, “Once again, it is a privilege to meet the Minister in person. But all these documents the Minister talking about, doctors suppose to know about these things already and got it store in computers across the nation. We don’t really need to rely on records. This is no big serious matter as it is made out to be.”
To this statement, the Minister informed the court that the records are of critical importance and their loss should not be taken lightly. “For example, the records have documented all the diseases in this country, and now because of this loss, a young doctor has to be extremely vigilant because he hasn’t these records to make reference to. Further, some data were stored on computers, but the main server was destroyed in the fire and so were other computers.”
The Minister was then excused from the witness box.
Prosecutor Hunte indicated to the court that as it relates to antecedents, it was found that Jones was convicted for unlawfully discharging a firearm, a matter which was filed July 4, 2012.
In relation to Westford, it was noted that no trace of criminal record against him could be found.
Attorney at Law, Michael Somersall then addressed the court as he stood to represent Westford.
The lawyer said that the defendant is only 24 years old and was a former employee of the Ministry of Finance. The Attorney added, “He is known to have lived a quiet life.”
At this point, Westford was seen with his eyes lowered in a pocket-sized version of the New Testament. As tears filled his eyes and finally dropped on the pages, Westford suddenly closed his eyes and pressed the Testament against the left side of his chest.
Court was then adjourned for a few minutes and the Minister made his way out of the courtroom.
When Magistrate Latchman returned she read the sentence to the defendants, stating that they had each received 60 months imprisonment.
Somersall later indicated to this publication that he will definitely be appealing this case.
In a brief interview with Kaieteur News, Minister Ramsammy said, “The system has worked but the sentencing does not change the effects of the trauma and the fact that important records are lost. The Ministry was not just a building but a historical site and now that history has been destroyed. It is going to take decades to get back the epidemiological records and we will only be able to replace part of that.”