–perpetrators to be brought to justice, President Ali affirms

COMPENSATION will soon be delivered to Mon Repos Market vendors who were the victims of alleged crimes committed by persons who leveraged a protest action along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) for their personal gains.

The initial protest on Tuesday started at Haslington, where persons took to the street and chanted for justice after they were misled by a false media report that the police officer purportedly involved in the killing of Quindon Bacchus, had been released.

What started as a verbal chant quickly escalated as scores of persons made their way to Mon Repos, where they purportedly beat vendors, robbed them and destroyed their property.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) managed to intervene and curtail the situation, but, by that time, vendors had already suffered significant losses.

In the aftermath of the event, President, Dr Irfaan Ali visited the market, where he assessed the damage and engaged persons who were affected and other residents of Mon Repos.

It was there that Dr Ali assured persons that they will be duly compensated and the perpetrators of those crimes will be brought to justice.

He said: “I want to assure you that you will be fully compensated, but more importantly, those who caused the harm must and will be brought to justice; this is of more importance.”

The Head of State went on to say: “What was done is totally wrong and all those who are responsible for doing it must be brought to justice; they must face the full consequences of the law and not only those who did it, but [also] those who instigated it.”

He related that those who instigated and planned those protests are responsible for it being conducted within the confines of the law.

President Ali said while everyone has a right in a democracy to let their voices be heard, it does not give them the right to loot, steal or harm anyone.

Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, S.C., also weighed in on the matter, noting: “A perceived injustice can never justify the commission of another injustice.”

The Attorney General said the alleged wrongful death cannot justify or be the basis of robbery, assault, and malicious destruction of property.

“It has already been disclosed that the investigation into the alleged shooting which is believed to have ignited the mayhem is ongoing and shall conclude shortly. Whatever the outcome is from this process, the law will run its course,” the Attorney General said.

However, in addition to the actions at Mon Repos, protesters, as they made their way past several villages along the ECD corridor, placed debris, old buses, and other things on the roadways, which hindered the flow of traffic.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has since confirmed that the road at Enmore to Golden Grove has been cleared by the joint services and is being monitored. According to a statement from the ministry, officers will maintain their presence along the ECD carriageway to ensure that peace is maintained.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, earlier in the day was on the ground, assessing the situation with members of the joint services, some of whom donned riot gear.

The Home Affairs Minister, along with the team of joint services officials, urged residents to stay off the road and allow officers to do their work.