…hindering prosecution of culprits
—President Granger says evidence lacking due to public fear

WHILE the government has made efforts to bring to justice the culprits behind the massacres of innocent Guyanese during the country’s “darkest hour” of the “Troubles,” the methodical killing of those with evidence continues to hinder conviction.

The period in Guyana from August 11, 1999 to December 3, 2011 has been dubbed the
“Troubles” by President David Granger who, on Wednesday, said that he is disappointed that, even now, persons are being executed for the knowledge they hold.
This, in turn, continues to hinder the work of Law Enforcement in bringing peace to the many who lost relatives during the period characterised by drug-driven chaos and bloodshed under the Bharrat Jagdeo administration.

“This is a major factor that there might be people out there who are unwilling to speak because it might be felt that persons who disclose evidence which could incriminate the actual culprits might themselves be eliminated,” the President said.

From August 11, 1999 to December 3, 2011 there were three massacres: Lusignan where 11 people were killed- Bartica where another 12 were killed and Lindo Creek where seven miners were slaughtered. Besides these, there were countless extra-judicial killings- with some activists estimating that around 400 Afro Guyanese males were gunned down.
The President has stated that it is only through the acquisition of evidence that persons involved can be charged. “A previous Commissioner of Police, at some time not too long ago, in relation to another massacre had mentioned that all of the witnesses were killed. I found it very difficult to believe that they had been methodical elimination of all witnesses for some of those 12 massacres that occurred in the troubles,” he said.

“We did make a start having a Commission of Inquiry into the Lindo Creek Massacre and even now the relatives of the persons who were killed would like to see some follow up and we are discussing with them the recommendations of the Lindo Creek Massacre. But, it pointed to the fact that there has not been any smoking gun; that evidence has not been sufficient to bring anybody to justice and that many of the possible witnesses have been killed or eliminated.”

Back in 2003 to 2006, convicted drug-trafficker, Shaheed Roger Khan, had set up a criminal network here including active policemen and a number of former ranks, ostensibly to go after criminals, but at the same time protecting his narco-trafficking interests. He was nabbed in neighbouring Suriname in 2006 while fleeing local police and was later handed over to US authorities.

Although the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government had sought to distance itself from Khan, the drug-trafficker had stated publicly in an advertisement in local newspapers that he had been fighting crime on behalf of the Bharrat Jagdeo-led government.
Khan had also implicated former Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy in his escapades, and documents bearing the then minister’s signature authorising the purchase of a sophisticated wire-tapping device were produced in U.S. courts during Khan’s trial.

Khan returned to Guyana in September after serving just about 10 years in a US detention facility. His return sparked interest in the Guyana public for those known to be involved in the troubled times to be brought to justice. While Khan has been released on bail after being held by the GPF for some time, he was not charged for any offence and will have to report to the police once every week.

Speaking again to the Lindo Creek massacre in which efforts were made to put answers to the many unknows of the “Troubles”, the President said that while the will to convict is there, much of the evidence is still lacking. “We would like to bring these matters to a closure and to the relatives of the persons who were killed. Lindo Creek was a good lesson to us that we may spend millions of dollars, we may interview persons but those persons who are culprits and those persons who might have been implicated or might even have knowledge about what took place have not come forward and given us the type of evidence on which we can go to court and make convictions,” he stated.

“It’s very disappointing for me but that is part of the reality of what happened during the Troubles when people were easily eliminated and, even now, people are being executed and it’s difficult for the police to find motivation behind such executions. One of the most outstanding and the most notorious is the execution of Crum Ewing. So, it’s an ongoing task of the Law Enforcement agencies. I am convinced that the police force would like to move ahead further and faster but a lot of people have been killed and dead men tell no tales.”