NO ESCAPE — Criminals will be hunted down and caught, says President
CRIMINAL elements hiding out in nooks and crannies might soon find themselves trapped and unable to escape law enforcement officers.President David Granger said the security forces will go after, and catch them.
Since the launch of Operation Dragnet, the security forces have been in full operation mode, sweeping communities across the country. And while crime is still a cause for much concern, many of the perpetrators have of late been caught, and some have even confessed to their crimes.
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan
Most notably, several of the suspects in the murder of British teen Dominic Bernard have confessed to committing the act.
Twenty-year-old Aaron Wilfred Hing, called ‘Neutral’ (Dominic’s God-brother); his friend Staymon ‘Sherwin’ George, 24; Krystol Thomas, 20, the pregnant girlfriend of George; her mother, Sinfine Henry, 39, also known as Coreen; and Jahmil Sinclair, 19, also known as ‘Frass’ and ‘Bacchus’, have all been arrested and charged for the murder of the Briton.
Fugitive Bath Settlement murder accused Rooplall Abrahim, 24, of Murphy Dam, Rosignol Village, West Bank Berbice, and Gocoul Madanpaul, 18, of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice have also been charged with the murder of Ms Anita Bachan, committed at Bath Settlement between January 3 and 4, 2016. Ms Bachan and her son were bound and beaten, and their house was set alight with them inside. Her son managed to escape, but see was not that lucky.
Madanlall and Nazamadeen Raffick, 19, of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice have also been charged with the brutal murder of Doodnauth Rajkumar, 81, a businessman, and his reputed wife Dianne Chammanlall, 49, both of Lot 93A Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice. That double-murder occurred between January 8 and 9.
Police have also reported that Abrahim has since confessed to the murders committed at both Bath Settlement and Bush Lot.
Meanwhile, the lover of Haffeza Rohoman, 28, a mother of three who was fished out of a canal at Helena Number 1, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara on Sunday last, has been arrested. The 22-year-old man has reportedly confessed to killing her.
These are just some of the cases in which the police have been able to make headway.
President Granger, speaking on his weekly televised programme “The Public Interest”, said he meets with Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, every week, and contended that his Administration has its fingers on the pulse of crime.
“You would notice that, under the Minister of Public Security, although crimes are being committed, they are being solved much more quickly, and we see a much more efficient Criminal Investigation Department (CID) getting hold of the culprits very quickly,” the President pointed out.
He added: “We are trying to identify gangs and chronic offenders. We feel that, in the fullness of time, Guyana and Guyanese can look forward to a safer society. It’s in its early days yet, but we are starting to win, and I feel very confident.”
Crime has been developing and surging since around the year 2000, and though the British Government offered its support to Guyana, the former Administration declined the assistance.
“Mr Ramjattan and I are singing from the same song sheet, and we are attempting to get the British engaged in the security sector; and he is quite firm, quite clear, and even instituted some measures, like the amnesty for firearms,” President Granger said.
Under the National Security Committee, crimes such as narcotics and gun smuggling and importation, among various crimes and road accidents, come under the spotlight.
The President said the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force have been doing their best, and with small changes, a lot of areas have been strengthened.
“In our meeting with the Commissioner (Seelall Persaud), we have assured him we will put more personnel and finance into criminal investigation,” the President said.
By Tajeram Mohabir
