President assures unsolved murder cases will be reopened
President David Granger has reiterated the need to reopen a number of unsolved murder and other serious criminal cases so that those culpable can face justice and families can have closure.
The president recommitted to having this pursued on the weekly televised programme; The Public Interest, aired on Friday last.
“We intend to initiate an investigation into the deaths, which occur after 2000 and wherever those leads take us we will follow,” the Head-of-State said.
He also disclosed that allegations of corruption brought against the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) will be seriously investigated.
Recently, self-confessed drug lord, Barry Dataram publicly accused officers of CANU of being involved in the local drug trade.
Following these damning allegations, President Granger had said the national Security Council will setup a board of inquiry to look into the claims.
Additionally, Mr. Granger has reiterated that the government is taking a zero tolerance approach to wrong-doing.
“We need to have a lawful and orderly society and whoever is accused of committing murders will have to face the full blunt of the law,” he stressed.
Mr. Granger is also considering recruiting additional prosecutors, which will supplement the efforts of the Guyana Police Force.
“We are intent on having more trained investigators; whether they come from abroad I cannot confirm that now I will prefer to have Guyanese investigators, who are competent and honest. We have even considered the possibility of hiring persons who are retired,” he stated.
Previously, the president had said that he intends to launch an inquiry into the unsolved and unnatural deaths between 2000 and 2008.
In this regard, he has already begun discussions with Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams, to have those cases reopened.
Among the deaths that will be investigated is that of former Minister of Agriculture, Satyadeow Sawh, his siblings and the security guard who were executed at their home in 2006.
The murders of police officers, the massacres in Lusignan and Bartica in January and February 2008, and charges of extrajudicial killings by the ‘phantom squad’, among other issues, are also expected to gain attention.
Former President Donald Ramotar has stated that he welcomes any investigation into the spate of extrajudicial killings, but there must not be limitations. He believes that these investigations must go as far back as the 1970’s.
