SEVERAL contracts, to improve the capacity of the Forensic Laboratory and facilitate the rehabilitation of numerous police stations across the country, were signed on Monday.
This aspect of work falls under Component Two of the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) of the Ministry of Public Security.

The contract for works to be undertaken on the Forensic Laboratory was awarded to Horatio Construction Company to the tune of $16.5M, and will involve the installation of electrical components to ensure electricity is safely transferred to all sections of the building.

During the signing at his ministry, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, noted the works will bring the laboratory one step closer to conducting Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing. He pointed out that the laboratory is currently conducting all other tests, except that of DNA testing. “We have to do what is called the air quality system and the security system which will be contracts. I understand those are up for single sourcing that will be to the tune of $50M, and that will take care of what is called, the infrastructural works that is {sic} going to complete it for DNA kind of testing” he explained.

The infrastructural works, the minister assured, will be completed by this year-end. Equipment will be sourced with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and should take about nine months for procurement and training, when it arrives. Project Manager of the CSSP, Clement Henry said that the work slated to be carried out at the Forensic Laboratory is to ensure the receipt of international accreditation. Henry also pointed out that the government is pursuing a proficiency testing body to ensure that there is credibility for all tests conducted in the laboratory.

Additionally, seven police stations will be rehabilitated at a cost of $150.4M to make them more user-friendly. These include Suddie, Aishalton, Port Kaituma, Mabaruma, Annai, Issano and Aurora. The structures at Issano and Aishalton will be rehabilitated by R. Wilson Construction Company to the tune of $17.4M and $20.5M, respectively. Aruku Investments will remodel the Port Kaituma and Mabaruma stations at a cost of $31.7M, while the Suddie and Aurora stations will be redone by R. Kissoon Construction Services for $54.5M. Raghubir General Construction was the awarded the contract to remodel the Annai Police Station for a sum of $26.2M.

“We are moving towards installing a domestic violence room, so that persons reporting cases of domestic violence can do so with some level of confidentiality within the room… because we are moving towards digitisation in many of the processes, we want to have the computer room for them to work and also an area whereby they can gather evidence in a location where it is at least to the maximum to ensure that, that process is confidential,” Henry explained. The rehabilitation works on the police stations are slated to commence within the next two weeks. (DPI)