…police looking into terrorism charge
…file being prepared for legal advice

THE niece of a leader of the People’s Progressive Party has been arrested by police for allegedly making threats about the bombing of the University of Guyana.

The University of Guyana student, Sheliza Jafferally, called “Shelly,” is currently in police custody assisting with investigations in relation to the bomb threats made to the UG Turkeyen Campus earlier this week. The Guyana Chronicle was informed that the woman was arrested since Wednesday and has been kept in custody as the police continue their

investigations. The woman is the niece of a former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Region Six Member of Parliament (MP) and current Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) campaign manager, Faizal Jafferally. In statement after speaking with his niece about the allegations, Jafferally said the young lady has denied all the allegations made against her. He said he has every reason to believe her.”

He further stated, ”the police are presently conducting an investigation and if the investigation proves otherwise, then the law should take its course. I am a proud member of the People’s Progressive Party and our party never condones or encourages those type of actions,” the former PPP MP said. According to a source, based on investigations conducted by the police, the telephone number belonging to the student is linked to the number that allegedly made the bomb threats to the university.

Meanwhile, in an invited comment, Deputy Commissioner and Crime Chief Lyndon Alves said a file is currently being prepared and will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. He however, declined to comment further as it relates to the investigation as it is still very active. He did confirm the arrest of the young woman.

Section 3 A of the Anti- Terrorism and Terrorist, of 2015 defines ‘terrorist act’ to mean an act whether committed in and outside of Guyana which causes or is likely to cause prejudice to national security or disruption of public safety, including description in the provision of emergency services or to any computer or electronic system or to the provision of services directly related to banking, communication, infrastructure, financial services, public utilities, transportation or other essential infrastructure and is intended to:

(a) Compel a government or international organisation to do or refrain from doing any act ; or

(b) intimidate the public or section of the public, for the purpose of advancing a political, ideological or religious cause or;

(c) Any act which constitutes an offence within the scope of, and as defined in any of the conventions.
The act further speaks to penalties under item (b) above to a fine between $500,000 to $3,000,000 and imprisonment time of minimum sentence of 15 years with a maximum of twenty years if convicted.

JAGDEO’s RHETORIC
The Guyana Chronicle had reported earlier this week that there were concerns about the rhetoric of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, expressing that there would be no business as usual as well as threatening to “ratchet up” the pressure on the government and the Guyana Elections Commission over the holding of early elections. On the same day Jagdeo made the threats there was a bomb threat at the University of Guyana. Asked to respond to this on Thursday at his news conference, Jagdeo brushed aside concerns saying that the “PPP was taking the high moral ground”. He said that his party was not preaching violence or polarisation, “That is where we will always stand.”

Jagdeo further urged support for racial harmony, calling on all to support the Ethnic Relations Commission’s (ERC) website which purports to support the aforementioned issue. Jagdeo’s threats on Tuesday were similar to the one he had made when President David Granger found his nominees for the post of chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission ‘not fit and proper.’ On that occasion he declared back in 2018:

“If they think they can rig the elections and have the kind of peace that we have now…they are wrong…they are very, very wrong.” He further added, “I hope they are not thinking that in their calculations and it is not coded language.” The former president has been criticised over the years for being intemperate. He had used similar language in March 2015 at a Babu Jaan rally when he told his successor, Donald Ramotar: “The past three years must have been a nightmare to Ramotar…Sometimes we need to administer something else, some kicks up the asses,” the former president had said. In the aftermath of the no-confidence vote, civil society and the diplomatic community have been urging all parties to remain calm and not to disturb the peace.

MISCHIEVOUS
Police had reported that the two bomb threats were mischievous and called on the perpetrators to desist from disrupting the calm in society. On Tuesday and Wednesday, threats were made to UG, forcing the cancellation of classes. “… from our investigations, there is no significant threat [and] our investigations have revealed so far that students, either by themselves or with other persons, decided to be mischievous and endeavoured to disrupt the existing peace and calm in society and specifically in the education sectors,” a police release said.

The police force, through its commissioner, deputy crime chief and a team of officers, met with members of the UG administration to assess the situation and keep the administration abreast of the investigations. “[Members of UG’s administration] were advised that the situation arose from mischievous students, either by themselves or other persons, therefore, there is no need for panic or any undue concern,” the release stated.

UNIVERSITY CLOSED
After the second threat, the university closed the campus until Monday, when classes and full operations will resume. “The closure of the campus will enable the administration, staff and student leaders to review the situation and enhance preventative and responsive measures for such threats,” a notice from UG said. The threats against the university had followed a string of online threats directed at several city schools. These threats were initially made against the School of the Nations and the school’s director was shot shortly after. Parents from “Nations” have since called on the police to make available to the public, the information they have gathered from their investigations thus far. They have also offered a $1M reward for the location and arrest of the perpetrator(s).

On Thursday, the education ministry said a group of persons have been visiting homes under the guise of investigators looking into the recent threats against city schools. “The group of con men are moving around in a white minibus and are pretending to be ranks attached to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Guyana Police Force,” the ministry said in a statement. It added: “The public is hereby asked to operate with extreme caution if ever faced with such a situation. You are advised to make immediate contact with the nearest police station and do not allow these persons into your yard or property at any time.”