The Guyana Fire Service suspects arson in the case of the mysterious fire which gutted the Guyana Elections Commission secretariat building on September 9 last year.
Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally yesterday told members of the media that the commission has received a report from Chief Fire Officer Lawrence David which made the revelation.
However according to Surujbally, the commission has since sought from David, information as to the reason for the fire service’s suspicion.
‘Because I don’t see the need for burning the building down after the results would have been announced, I mean it sounds a bit weird,” Surujbally contended.
However he noted that the commission has already completed salvaging material from the damaged building and the secretariat is engaged in putting the materials saved into an inventory and the dismantling of the remains of the building has commenced.
“We are also currently advertising for expressions of interest from building consultants to undertake and conduct consultancy services for the construction of the proposed new building for the secretariat,” he added.
Though the secretariat suffered from a great loss of equipment, furniture and some administrative records, the chairman said the fire did not affect the functions of the secretariat in any major way and fortunately the registration database was not affected.
However, the fire displaced secretariat staff, who had to be accommodated in the K.P Thomas Building, not far from the Commission office and which was also used as the command centre for the elections.
Immediately after the fire Dr Surujbally had told the media that electronic copies of the accounts department’s financial records were contained in the Integrated Fiscal and Management Accounting System (IFMAS) system at the Finance Ministry, where they could be recovered. He added that while most of the documented information relating to the accounts department was burnt the safe remained intact.
Arson was suspected in a number of other fires across the country and this was a matter for concern within the Guyana Fire Service.
