– Rohee
MINISTER of Home Affairs Mr. Clement Rohee disclosed, on Monday, that to further boost capacity at the local forensic laboratory to be established, the overseas assistance of a French national and a Barbadian has been requested. He said they are expected in the country shortly to assist Guyanese with DNA testing.
Rohee made the disclosure after a demonstration of the recently acquired water cannon and said the government is looking at priorities for the Guyana Police Force (GPF) capacity building requirements in crime prevention and detection.
As such, he said they were looking at DNA capacity in the lab itself, since, at first, that was in the plan and the Governments of France and Barbados, having pledged their support, are each sending an official to help.
Last June 4, during a visit to the site for the lab, behind the University of Guyana (UG), in Dennis Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, Rohee told reporters the building will be completed in three months time.
He said dependence on foreign forensic capability came up during a discussion with President Donald Ramotar and there is a possibility of it being done locally at the Sophia location.
Rohee admitted it is one of the challenges being faced but said Guyana will have to rely on overseas help for now until it can be done here.
But, hopefully, there would not be many cases in the interim, he said.
Rohee said the lab, when ready, will be staffed by ranks of the GPF, who are already in the scientific environment, UG students and others through arrangements with universities abroad.
He said there will be vacancies for those who may wish to apply with the necessary qualifications.

ONGOING PROCESS
“This will be an ongoing process. As we move along, we will recognise that scientific inputs are required. From a personal point of view, therefore, we will have to try our best to resolve those issues in staffing,” Rohee said.
He spoke in the presence of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement), Mr. Seelall Persaud, who acknowledged that the lab will mean a whole lot to Guyana and the work of the GPF.
“With the addition of DNA testing, we wouldn’t have to rely heavily on overseas laboratories which take up to four months to complete the process,” the Crime Chief said.
Persaud agreed that the lab will provide the kind of aid in initial stages of investigations, pointing out that, in today’s world, there are two major issues – one being the development of technology and, secondly, the reliability on eyewitness. And Information Technology (IT) evidence has taken a turn worldwide and judges and magistrates are aware of these technologies and would want to have that to support eyewitnesses.
He also said, that in terms of capacity building for the lab, there is staff here but they do not know if the skills base is enough and are looking at a management model to be developed with assistance of overseas counterparts.