THERE has been much said in both the political and civilian spheres over the alleged rape of 23-year-old Colwyn Harding, and the matter continues to attract much attention.
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Mr Clement Rohee, yesterday condemned the use of that matter as a political football, and he said that premature judgments should be avoided.
At a press conference held at Freedom House on Robb Street, Georgetown, Rohee said: “We view with great consternation politicians and others usually critical of the Government reducing this grave matter into a political football, kicking it around to bolster their faltering political fortunes.
“They have already passed judgment on the matter. They have already condemned the police officer. They have already calculated compensation, and are demanding the state to pay $100M tax payers’ dollars as compensation.
“All of this they did having heard only one side, and in the absence of any credible impartial investigation; or indeed, any investigation. Even the doctors’ professional opinions were ignored in this process.
“In other words, they accumulated their own evidence, heard one side, which included no impartial or professional opinion of any doctor who examined the patient, but passed their own judgment and (are) now demanding payment of that judgment.
“Many of these persons are lawyers, and therefore we are forced to presume that they must have a fleeting acquaintance with concepts such as natural justice, presumption of innocence, and the value of expert medical opinion.
“In their game of political football, they ignored them all.”

FAMILIAR TREND
Rohee pointed out that the trend of judgment without a trial is a familiar one. He was referring to the 2012 incident in Linden.
He said, “We recall that this is the selfsame motley crew who recklessly and irrationally jumped to similar conclusions in respect of persons whom they misled into protest actions, and who were killed in Linden in June 2012.
“In that instance, they wildly claimed that they have evidence that the Minister of Home Affairs issued instructions to shoot. As a result, the Government was forced to establish a Commission of Inquiry, bringing commissioners from the Caribbean to conduct an inquiry into those events. That inquiry cost the tax payers of this country $120M.
“In the end, those who made those baseless allegations were publicly humiliated, as there was not a scintilla of evidence to support them. Both the minister and the Police Force were exonerated.”
Rohee called for experience to be a teacher that ensures that Guyanese are not “led astray by a reckless and delusional” few.
“We cannot act precipitously. We must await a comprehensive investigation. Justice and fairness demand it,” he stressed.

REFORMS
Rohee said that Guyana has signed onto “every treaty” in this hemisphere which seeks to advance and entrench human rights and the constitutional freedoms of our people, including the Convention against Torture and Other Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment.
“We have amended the Constitution of Guyana to expand human rights protection, and (have) magnified the freedoms which Guyanese enjoy as fundamental rights,” he said. “Indeed, these constitutional changes include an obligation imposed upon those charged with the interpretation of the constitution to be guided by, and take into account, these various human rights conventions, treaties and protocols.”
Rohee stressed that these reforms continue to be a work in progress.
“In order to increase civilian oversight over the disciplined forces, we have ensured that the statutory, constitutional, and other mechanisms designed to achieve these purposes are functioning. We refer to the Office of Professional Responsibility, the Police Complaints Authority, the Commission of Law and Order, the Constitutional Court, and the Ombudsman,” he said.
Rohee added these efforts are intended to advance wide ranging reforms to the disciplined forces, to ensure that they operate within the confines of the law; that they are accountable for their actions; and that they discharge in a professional manner their respective mandate and mission.

(By Vanessa Narine)