The Ministry of Home Affairs has replied to the call by Mr. David Granger for a judicial inquiry into the drug trade. “ Since like Shaggy, he (Granger) said ‘it wasn’t me’, Mr. Granger should push for a judicial inquiry into the shooting to death in 1973  of Jagan Ramessar and Bholanath Parmanand; the two ballot box martyrs”, the ministry said in a press statement last evening.
“Further, Mr. Granger should press for a judicial inquiry into the subversion of the Constitution of Guyana under the PNC when the State and Party became   indistinguishable and the paramountcy of the Party prevailed”, the statement continued.
“Moreover, Mr. Granger should call for a judicial inquiry into the assassination of Walter Rodney in 1979.
“Mr Granger should insist on a judicial inquiry into the theft of guns and ammunition from the Guyana Defence Force.
“Mr Granger who likes to project himself as ‘Mr Clean’, should call for a judicial inquiry into the PNC’s  connections with the Rhondell Rawlins “Fineman” Gang that                                               
killed men, women and babies at Lusignan and Guyanese citizens at Bartica and Lindo Creek.
“Mr Granger appears to be sailing and oblivious to the fact that the Government of Guyana, in its efforts to ensure that law enforcement officers involved in fighting the drug trade are accountable, have polygraphed all CANU and Police Narcotics Branch operatives within one and a half years, an accomplishment many countries in the region are yet to achieve.
“Mr Granger must be aware that both President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton have publicly admitted that they do not do enough to help countries fight the drug trade and that they have to do more.
“Whatever is provided in support of counter narcotics interventions in Guyana is provided from government’s budget; but Mr. Granger has opted to be an apologist for the US administration by simply and conveniently quoting a section from the US State Department Report that refers to trans-shipment of drugs to the US and other locations.
“To claim that the country ‘has no functional counter narcotic plan’ is to display a lack of understanding that cannot be helped.
“Guyana is actively cooperating with Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela through established cooperation mechanisms to fight cross-border drug trafficking activities.
“The Government of Guyana and the Government of the USA have been actively engaged, along with other CARICOM countries, in formulating and adopting the Caribbean Basin  Security Initiative (CBSI).   This Initiative, in the context of international cooperation, has a counter narcotics component that will be actively implemented in Guyana and other CARICOM countries.
“Sixteen  of the 36 programmes in the 2005-2009 Drug Strategy Master Plan are works in progress and are  currently   being implemented at an inter-agency level.
“Preparations have already begun as regards formulating a successor 2011-2015 Drug Strategy Master Plan.
“The Task Force on Narcotic Drugs and Illicit Weapons is hard at work ensuring effective coordination and action by law enforcement in the fight against narco-trafficking.
“The Government of Guyana is committed to continuing with its aggressive posture as regards its counter narcotic activities.
“The judicial inquiry Mr. Granger has called for makes no sense in light of the proactive approach by the Government of Guyana, together with the law enforcement agencies in Guyana,” the statement concludes.