OPPOSITION Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo says he welcomes any investigation into the extra-judicial killings of the 2000 to 2010 period referred to by President David Granger as “The troubles.”
This was asserted by Jagdeo on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Church Street. According to Jagdeo, “this has been going around and it’s been rearing its head again”. President David Granger noted in a recent Kaieteur News article that the matter remains a priority for him and the government.
The Head of State added, “We are working on the evidence…It is still a commitment to the mothers of the children who either disappeared or died. We are collecting information, not in a formal way but some information has to be collected from various sources because many of the actual eyewitnesses have been killed during the troubles.”
Jagdeo said that he attempted to look at the issue years ago and staff downloaded the names of the “400 black men” whom he noted were alleged to have been “killed by the PPP.” He listed names including Linden “Blackie” London, who was killed in a battle with the joint services years ago. He named Mohammed Shafeek who died in prison; Powar Hardeo, a late Berbice businessman; Leon Fraser, the late Police Superintendent and several other police officers including the late police Detective, Adrian London.
Jagdeo said that the PPP ignored the list of names for which he did not name a source. He said the party welcomes an investigation into the issue, noting that he thought the Coroner Amendment Bill 2015, which was passed in the National Assembly was aimed at undertaking investigations into the death of the persons on the list. The Bill was revised to allow for at least four coroners in Demerara, three in Berbice and two in Essequibo. These persons will be full time coroners. Every person appointed as a coroner under the act shall take and subscribe to the oath of office taken by a magistrate with whatever modifications are necessary.
Months after assuming office, President Granger noted the government’s intention to probe the large number of persons who died during the period 2000-2008. In 2012, while being Leader of the Opposition, President Granger had drafted a motion which sought to investigate, among others the killing of Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh and the massacres at Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek in 2006. The then ruling People’s Progressive Party and the other opposition party, Alliance for Change (AFC) had called for an extension of the time period referenced in the motion. As such the motion was deferred.