-says inquiry vital
The Alliance For Change (AFC) is again calling for a Commission of Inquiry into the evidence coming out of the US trial of former Roger Khan attorney Robert Simels, saying a dismissive attitude may promote a cycle of violence.
At a joint AFC-GAP press conference on Thursday, AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan said the party was adamant that the evidence presented during the trial had compelling attributes, giving it the status of “probate information” which ought to lead to a Commission of Inquiry. The AFC has argued that the evidence that links senior members of government to narco-dealers was forthcoming from the prosecution witnesses and even the defence.
Ramjattan emphasized that even Peter Myers from Myers and Co., the manufacturer of the high-tech spy equipment, implicated the Government of Guyana when he testified that it had authorised the purchase of the said equipment. He also said comments on the issue from Attorney General Charles Ramson and Private Sector Commission Chairman Gerry Gouveia were dismissive of this information and “wholly outrageous”.
Ramjattan said the dismissive attitude by the officials would not bring closure to the families of all those who died in the political/criminal episode from 2002 to 2006. He observed that lessons from this era will clarify how the security sector must be administered and identifying mistakes in its administration would not be possible if the truth in this episode is not sought by an internationally reputable body.
Gouveia told Stabroek News that the revelations did not prove anything here because the court evidence is yet to be substantiated. He said too he believed that the testimony relevant to Guyana is untested and supporting evidence must be produced to verify claims made by witnesses on the stand, particularly those of US government informant Selwyn Vaughn.
Vaughn had alleged a link between Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy and drug trafficker Khan. In his testimony he also suggested a link between Khan and the government.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General said that the enforcement agencies had their role to play in enquiring whether there is any truth in the allegations. He also noted that steps to initiate an investigation could not be taken at the political level and while the allegations were coming out in the press it was quite another thing to have actual statements in front of the investigating agencies. Ramson could not speak of any request made by the US for information on the Khan case but he did say that the Guyana Police Force is currently waiting on information from the US.
AFC leader Raphael Trotman said he believed that Guyanese were the ones to solve Guyanese problems however, in this instance he believed an international probe would highlight the Guyana problem.
