PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar, yesterday, called on Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, leader of People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) to return the guns that were given to the PNC by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).“When those weapons were given to the PNC, the present leader of the PNC was the commander of the army at the time and now that he is the leader of the PNC, I would expect that he would make some genuine effort to return those weapons,” he said, during a news conference, held at Office of the President, yesterday.

The President’s call follows revelations from testimonies given at the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the death of Dr. Walter Rodney.
Lieutenant Colonel Sydney James, who spent three days at the CoI on the witness stand this week, testified and submitted documentation that the GDF loaned high-powered military weapons to the Ministry of National Development of the PNC Government during the 1970s and 1980s.
The records that Lieutenant Colonel James tendered as evidence to the Commission show that the GDF loaned 200-odd weapons to the Ministry, as well as paramilitary organisations and other agencies.
Mr. Ramotar noted that the Ministry of National Development was “inseparable” from the PNC, as it was the office of the General-Secretary of the PNC at that time and so the party cannot escape liability for the return of the weapons.
“I hope the leader of the PNC will take some steps to return the weapons to the army,” he said.

CRIMINAL CONNECTIONS
According to the Head of State, the missing weapons have found themselves in the hand of criminals, as indicated by Lieutenant Colonel Sydney James during his testimony.
In 2008, the police found two of those guns, including a grenade launcher, in the possession of notorious criminals at Mahaicony.
“We have been talking about the links of the Opposition to crime,” the President charged.
He pointed out that the issue at hand relates not only to the 155 still missing weapons, but also to other weapons that have gone missing and used in criminal activities, which include the devastating crime wave that gripped the nation.
Guyana’s unprecedented crime wave was responsible for numerous murders, kidnaps, and robberies and dates back to the now infamous February 2002 jailbreak, when five dangerous and armed prisoners escaped and sought refuge in Buxton village, which was widely regarded as a safe haven for criminals.
Mr. Ramotar said: “We have said that the situation in Buxton would have never lasted this long, had there not been some political support for them in that area. Clearly we see that these are some of the things we have to fight against. What happened then impact us today, as far as crime is concerned.”
He highlighted that Mr. Granger, on several occasions, called for the establishment of CoIs, but seems to ignore the need for a CoI to address something that is important for the country.
“It is clear, coming out of the Commission, with evidence, that these weapons were given to the PNC and they have found themselves in the criminal community. They have the responsibility of getting back those weapons,” the Head of State stressed.

CONTINUED EFFORTS
Until the weapons are returned, the President made it clear that the relevant law enforcement agencies will continue their efforts to recover them.
“We have been making a lot of efforts to get the weapons back, but maybe part of the reason we have not succeeded was what I just said, because of who was heading the army and the police at that time and where are they now,” he said.
Mr. Ramotar stated too that his administration is committed to ensuring that illegal weapons are taken off the streets and out of the hands of criminals.
He said: “Law enforcement agencies continuously will try to recoup those weapons…all the illegal weapons on the road, all the illegal weapons in the society, all the weapons in the hands of criminals, it is the responsibility of the law enforcement agencies to continue their work to try to get them back.”
The Commander-in-Chief accepted his responsibility in this regard and stressed that the recovery of illegal weapons by law enforcement agencies is a standing order.
“This is one of the important functions of the security forces, to get the weapons back. This is a standing order to get the weapons back,” he said.
Mr. Ramotar noted too that the Defence Board has not addressed the revelations of the Walter Rodney CoI as it has not met since.
Additionally, of those 200-odd weapons, 155 are still missing today, with the GDF not engaged in searching for them.
Written By Vanessa Narine