Skip to main content

MP denied access to NOC

MAY 29, 2014 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

By Latoya Giles
Even though Culture Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has emphatically stated that the New Opportunity Corps is not a “closed institution” A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Member of Parliament Christopher Jones has been denied access to visit the facility.
Jones, who spoke to Kaieteur News yesterday, said that he had made an oral request to the Culture Minister several days ago to visit the NOC. He explained that he was informed by the Minister that he should make a written request, which was done.
Last Tuesday, Jones said he received a response from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alfred King, outlining that his request was denied.
“The Ministry recognizes your continued interest in the NOC, but we cannot accede to your request at this time, but rather to a date in the near future”, the letter stated.
According to Jones this denial raises grave concern since the Minister, the Permanent Secretary and caregivers had categorically stated at a recent press conference that there’s nothing to hide. “What is restricting a Member of Parliament from visiting the institution”, Jones questioned yesterday.
He said that besides his shadow position which deals with culture, youth and sport, his geographic responsibility is the Pomeroon Supenaam.  Jones further explained that he had intended to visit the institution along with five other colleagues from the Party.
“We were going to look at the children and speak with caregivers, we had also intended to look closely at the “quiet room” and have a firsthand assessment”, Jones said.
Because of the denied request, Jones opined that it is clear that the Ministry has something to hide at the NOC.
Jones insisted that the matter will not rest and that they intend to have Parliament intervene. “Our concern is all of the students at the NOC ever since the revelation came out”, Jones said. He maintained that parents who still have children at the NOC are still complaining, thus the request to visit the NOC was made.
Within the last three weeks several allegations have surfaced from the NOC about caregivers committing sex acts on teenagers. Parents have come forward and told harrowing stories about sexual abuse.
Jones had told Kaieteur News that his Party was in the process of preparing a dossier which would be sent to various international organizations.
“One dossier will be filled with statements of the children and the Government of Guyana’s inaction to deal with these matters”, Jones explained.
Opposition Leader Brig. David Granger had said that his Party had no confidence in the capability of the Ministry of Culture, to administer the New Opportunity Corps.
Granger had proposed that the responsibility of the Corps be transferred to another Ministry or agency that possesses the requisite personnel and skills and is better prepared to tend to the lives of juveniles sympathetically.
Last week Jones had made a call to Government to have the caregivers at the New Opportunity Corps undergo lie detector tests.
Jones told the media that a threat by caregivers has since silenced the girls, as they are now withholding certain information.
“All caregivers should be subject to lie detector tests and if they fail, they should be dismissed,” Jones said yesterday.
Jones maintained that his Party will do all in its power to ensure that the girls do not return to the NOC.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Nothing that the PPP ever does is transparent and above board. They are so eager to have an inquiry into Rodney's death in 1980 but deny access to the opposition to investigate the alleged abuse of children today. 

Mars

You are painting the PPP with a broad brush. Don't make statements that sound good as to opposed the PPP, make them when you have facts. Even when they're good thing in the works by the PPP admin, you still shoot them down as useless. So, I wouldn't take you serious.

FM
Originally Posted by Cobra:
Originally Posted by KishanB:

Antony got much to hide.

What he has to hide? Tell us the inside info that you know.

LOL.  Freedomp House aint go to info on this one.  Steve Ninvalle, the PS man squeal at a beer session last week.  More to come.

FM
Last edited by Former Member

The way that the PPP are behaving, it seems that there is something to hide. In the beginning they denied that there was any abuse at the NOC only to make an about turn and admit that there were allegations of abuse. A PPP official was named as one of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes so that could be a reason why they are denying the opposition a chance at doing their own investigation.

 

Top Govt. official fingered in sex scandal at NOC

May 8, 2014 | By  | Filed Under News 

- Human Services Minister orders probe

 

By Latoya Giles

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, has ordered the Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene, to investigate the alleged sexual molestation of female inmates of the New Opportunity Corps.

Minister Webster told Kaieteur News, yesterday, that her Ministry received reports from the parents of the alleged victims on Tuesday.

“I have asked the Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency to conduct an investigation. We are currently conducting an investigation,” Webster said.

Minister Webster’s comments came amid reports that several teenage girls have alleged that a senior government official from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport was one of the individuals who had sexual intercourse with them at the New Opportunity Corps.

This new revelation comes on the heels of several other allegations made by the teenage girls.

Yesterday, Member of Parliament Chris Jones told Kaieteur News that to date Minister Frank Anthony is still to say anything on the allegations. Jones alleges that the Ministry is covering up something which is criminal in the state of Guyana.

“We have information of the official having sex with the young ladies…along with other male caregivers” Jones told Kaieteur News. According to Jones they have also spoken to the young ladies who are alleging that they were forced to have unprotected sex and then given the “morning after pill”.

Jones added that at least three females have taken pregnancy tests with one coming out negative. The other two, according to Jones, have not been revealed up to press time.

Jones said that within the last several days, three teenage girls appeared before the Magistrate at the Anna Regina Court. He said that they were represented by Attorney at Law Dexter Todd who appeared amicus.

According to Jones the Magistrate ordered that three girls be put on probation which is to be spent at the NOC. He said that over the weekend Mohamed Shaeed, a caregiver at the NOC, informed them that they had to spend another year at the institution.

This according to Jones pushed one of the female’s to attempt suicide. “She began cutting herself ….all because they brought out the injustices they were facing at the NOC and now subjected to further abuse,” Jones told Kaieteur News.

Jones contended that if the Ministry is serious, Minister Anthony should grant the young ladies an exit so they could contribute to an investigation. Jones further told Kaieteur News that his party is in the process of preparing a dossier which would be sent to various international organizations.

“One dossier will be filled with statements of the children and the government of Guyana inaction to deal with these matters” Jones explained.

The parents have been taken to the Child Protection Agency and they have signaled that they will move swiftly to address the issues.

Jones said that he was hopeful that after the 2012 unrest, the inquiry would have spoken on the issues.

“His failure to adequately deal with the matter shows how non-performing the Minister is”, Jones noted. “With all the laws that were passed at the national level…the Minister should have been more proactive with the situation” Jones told Kaieteur.

Jones said that the end of the day Government has failed miserably to adequately deal with youths in Guyana and parents who seek the state’s intervention.

“Government has failed youths; you send your child to the NOC for help and they could either come out either pregnant, open to sexual transmitted diseases among other things,” Jones lamented.

“I would tell parents that they should not send their children to the NOC, to keep them home and seek other alternative counseling methods. Don’t send them to the NOC; they coming out worst than how they went in” Jones told Kaieteur News.

Meanwhile, in an invited comment, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said that every single allegation of rape and pedophilia “should be taken seriously, investigated swiftly and tried urgently.”

“This is particularly true for allegations made by children or adults who are in the care of the state. I am aware that Minister Anthony and Minister Webster are collaborating on the investigation of the NOC matter, and I expect that swift and necessary action will be taken by the respective Ministry to address the allegations sensitively and firmly, with a view to determine what happened, and more particularly, to make sure that those institutions are safe places and the residents there are protected,” Manickchand said.

Opposition Leader Brig. David Granger had said that his party had no confidence in the capability of the Ministry of Culture, to administer the New Opportunity Corps.

Granger had proposed that the responsibility of the Corps be transferred to another Ministry or agency that possesses the requisite personnel and skills and is better prepared to tend to the lives of juveniles sympathetically.

He stressed, “It is evident that a new approach and a new agency are needed to curb the perpetuation of abuses and interpersonal violence which are still occurring in the Corps.

“APNU is concerned that the worst incident of violence in the entire history of the Corps occurred in August 2012 and involved about one-third of the juveniles in the Corps. The Minister however, has been unable to present the report of the Commission of Inquiry to the National Assembly after over 20 months.

“The absence of the report clearly has resulted in the Ministry’s inability to comprehend the problem and to prevent the recurrence of abuses similar to those that are alleged to have triggered the August 2012 events.

“The last escape occurred between March 22 and March 24, this year. It involved 11 juveniles.”

Granger had said that APNU has been disturbed, particularly by the new reports of sexual harassment and exploitation of juvenile girls by male staff members and older males.

Mars
Originally Posted by Cobra:
Originally Posted by KishanB:

Antony got much to hide.

What he has to hide? Tell us the inside info that you know.

Within the last three weeks several allegations have surfaced from the NOC about caregivers committing sex acts on teenagers. Parents have come forward and told harrowing stories about sexual abuse.
Jones had told Kaieteur News that his Party was in the process of preparing a dossier which would be sent to various international organizations.
“One dossier will be filled with statements of the children and the Government of Guyana’s inaction to deal with these matters”, Jones explained.

Mitwah
Originally Posted by Cobra:
Originally Posted by KishanB:

Antony got much to hide.

What he has to hide? Tell us the inside info that you know.

 

Kishan is like an empty barrel. Lot of noise and no substance.

FM
Originally Posted by Cobra:

You are painting the PPP with a broad brush. .

Yes he is because the accusations of PPP incompetence, corruption and abuse are so lengthy that they need a broad brush to cover it up.

 

If the PPP has nothing to hide then they should allow the MP to visit IMMEDIATELY.  But instead they need time to brief and intimidate the kids and staff to LIE!

FM
Originally Posted by Mars:

The way that the PPP are behaving, it seems that there is something to hide. In the beginning they denied that there was any abuse at the NOC only to make an about turn and admit that there were allegations of abuse. A PPP official was named as one of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes so that could be a reason why they are denying the opposition a chance at doing their own investigation.

 

Top Govt. official fingered in sex scandal at NOC

May 8, 2014 | By  | Filed Under News 

- Human Services Minister orders probe

 

By Latoya Giles

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, has ordered the Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene, to investigate the alleged sexual molestation of female inmates of the New Opportunity Corps.

were facing at the NOC and now subjected to further abuse,” Jones told Kaieteur News.

 

Why am I not surprised.  Sexual abuse, assaults, pistol whipping of PPP supporters, and driving drunk and fleeing the scene of an accident is all acceptable behavior for PPP officials.

 

No wonder they want to know what the fuss is all about.

FM

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×