THE recent statement by Attorney General Anil Nandlall reaffirming the Guyana Police Force as the sole legal investigative agency is a wise balance between maintaining national sovereignty and pursuing justice with every available means.

The tragic case of young Adriana Younge has certainly rocked our nation to its core, bringing forth universal calls for answers and accountability that have tested the public’s confidence in local law enforcement agencies. The AG’s position is, however, prudent and one that merits backing, not disparagement.

While involving Canadian investigator Leonard McCoshen serves to illustrate the government’s interest in diligent investigation, Nandlall properly warns against creating a precedent for outside agencies routinely overriding local ones, which would inevitably erode the morale and growth of the GPF as an institution.

The government’s reaction to the Adriana Younge investigation shows a sensitive balance between securing experience from abroad and developing local capacity.

In recruiting an experienced RCMP veteran to assist without supplanting local detectives, authorities have been showing institutional respect as well as the commitment to serious investigation.

This co-operative model allows the GPF to maintain its constitutional mandate while benefitting from expert knowledge which can further develop investigation techniques in the future. Such strategic complementing of local resources with international expertise should be viewed not as a sacrifice of inadequacy but as an effective solution to complex cases which need extraordinary scrutiny.

The government’s interest in McCoshen’s services, done ‘long before’ public calls for outside intervention, is yet another example of foresight and not reactive rule.

The statutory authority for the GPF’s investigatory primacy is clear and should be reaffirmed. The Police Act (16:01) explicitly declares the Force to be the primary agency for the arrest of offenders and the enforcement of laws and regulations.

This legislative structure, joined by the doctrine of national sovereignty that grants every nation sole authority over enforcement on its territory, presents firm foundations for maintaining the GPF’s central role in all examinations regardless of public pressure or political convenience.

The AG’s hesitation from mass outsourcing of investigative work is not merely one of legal propriety, but one of practical utility — a nation cannot establish good institutions by systematically bypassing them at the slightest point of pressure.

Such precedents would place unreasonable expectations where every family will feel entitled to external investigators, an unrealistic and unsustainable strategy to justice.

The mention of the GPF’s investigative powers should be viewed against the overall context of present-day police reforms.

President Ali’s recent gift of 5,000 body cameras is a turning point towards further transparency and accountability in the police. Such investment in technology overhauls indicates serious commitment towards improved capability and conduct of local police forces and not merely substituting them with external expertise during challenging times.

The government’s multi-pronged strategy to improve law enforcement — by both making its agents accountable and bending the law towards strategic global cooperation — presents a viable route towards institutional reform which needs to be supported by citizens and tolerated.

The AG’s irritation with people exploiting Adriana Younge’s horrible demise for political ends is fully understandable and represents a deplorable trend in Guyanese political discourse.

Nandlall correctly identifies the double standard to which some critics are content only if the People’s Progressive Party members are being charged regardless of evidence or due process. This selectiveness indicates that there is some criticism driven by politics rather than a concern for justice.

The government has taken concrete steps by delivering promises to the Younge family, e.g., sourcing independent pathologists and professional investigative assistance. These decisive steps towards justice are a far cry from the hollow criticism from political opponents who seem more interested in scoring points than uncovering truth.

The ghastly death of Adriana Younge deserves a good investigation and justice, but the manner in which we pursue that justice matters in a very significant way to Guyana’s institutional development. Attorney General Nandlall’s position on retaining the GPF investigative authority while complementing it strategically with foreign expertise is a balanced, wise approach to meet immediate needs as well as future institutional development.

True justice for Adriana involves not just answers in her specific case but building systems that will be able to provide justice day-in and day-out for all Guyanese citizens today and tomorrow.