Gov’t pays tribute to late Minister Sawh

GUYANA remembered the late former Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh, fondly called Sash Sawh, yesterday, on the eighth anniversary of his brutal assassination; and incumbent Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, in an invited comment, told the Guyana Chronicle that Sawh will always be remembered as a patriot who struggled for the freedom of his country.“As we reflect on Sash’s death, our struggles to strengthen our democracy and freedom must continue. It is the only meaningful tribute we can continue to pay to a Guyanese patriot,” Minister Ramsammy stressed.

On April 22, 2006, the late former Agriculture Minister Satyadeow ‘Sash’ Sawh and his siblings, Rajpat Rai and Phulmatttie Persaud, as well as security guard Kurtis Robertson, were brutally gunned down at the Sawhs’ La Bonnne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara (ECD) home.

Ramsammy said, “His death shortened a career that significantly contributed to our development; but as we remember Sash and his optimism for Guyana, we must be reminded that evil forces that ensured dictatorship in Guyana after independence are still active in Guyana.

Eight years ago, on April 22, 2006, the late former Agriculture Minister Satyadeow ‘Sash’ Sawh and his siblings, Rajpat Rai and Phulmatttie Persaud, as well as security guard Kurtis Robertson, were brutally gunned down at the Sawhs’ La Bonnne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara home.

“Sash’s death was a consequence of a centrally directed violent movement intended to overthrow the Government. While that effort failed, it ended with too many (dead) and maimed people.

“Unfortunately, the forces behind the violence in that period are still present in Guyana, and we must be ever vigilant,” Ramsammy concluded.
Sawh was born on June 13, 1955 in Central Mahaicony, ECD; but he and his family migrated to Canada in the 1970s, where he studied Economics and Business at York University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982. He had previously earned a certificate in Accounting and Business from the Ryerson Polytechnic Institute in 1978.

Between 1975 and 1992, he served as a member and President respectively of the Association of Concerned Guyanese, and was the political representative of the People’s Progressive Party in Canada.

From 1993 to 1996, he served as Guyana’s Ambassador to Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. For his diplomatic service, he was awarded the Order of Francisco Miranda by the Venezuelan Government and received several community awards in Venezuela and Canada.

In 1996, Sawh was appointed Minister of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock, and later was given the additional portfolio of Minister of Agriculture.

Sash Sawh was the second cabinet member to be assassinated. In the 1960s, the then Home Affairs Minister Claude Christian was shot during riots in Georgetown. He had functioned in that capacity under the then Premier, the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan. After Christian’s death, the later former President Janet Jagan replaced him as Home Affairs Minister.

WARNINGS
Additionally, Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, in a column published earlier this month, stated that he had warned the party to undertake a serious analysis of the then crime situation to determine whether the party or individuals were at risk. According to him, the plea was made in March of 2006 when he addressed a meeting of the Central Committee of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP).

In recalling his presentation, Ramkarran said he told the meeting: “The security situation is uppermost in people’s minds… Everyone is terrified out of his/her wits because of the gruesome violence in Agricola, the massive theft of arms from the army, regular killings allegedly by the Buxton terrorists, and weekly wanton killings by armed robbers.”

He added that he had told the meeting: “Our Party and its leaders need to know the real situation, so that we can assess if the Party or individuals are in danger, so that contingency plans can be made, if possible, or comrades warned or reassured.”

Ramkarran said: “Had there been a serious discussion and assessment based on information, and all leaders alerted to the dangers and steps taken to enhance security”, the assassination of Sawh might have been avoided.

The former Speaker of the National Assembly recalled that Minister Sash Sawh was present at that meeting.

As of 2009, the two persons accused of Sawh’s murder — David ‘Biscuit’ Leander and Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles — are deceased.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY
In March this year, Opposition Leader David Granger proffered the opinion that a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) is what is needed to not only bring closure for relatives of the late Minister Sawh, but to provide answers to the many lingering questions before the trail gets colder.

His comments followed a motion that was tabled in the National Assembly pushing for a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the incidence of criminal violence that occurred in Guyana from 2004 to 2010.

The motion addresses, among other related issues, the “unlawful killing of undetermined numbers of persons – including assassinations; executions; murders; extra-judicial killings by members of the Guyana Police Force Target Special Squad” and other forms of criminal violence in Guyana.

The motion is premised on Article 138(1) of the Constitution, which prescribes that no person shall be deprived of his life intentionally, save in the execution of the sentence of a court in respect of an offence under the Laws of Guyana of which he has been convicted.

It also cites the Commission of Inquiry Act, Chapter 19:03, which says thus: “The President may issue a commission, appointing one or more commissioners, and authorising such commissioner or commissioners to inquire into any matter in which an inquiry would, in the opinion of the President, be for the public welfare.”

That motion is scheduled to be addressed by the National Assembly.