Opposition parties yesterday flayed President Bharrat Jagdeo’s announcement that he has ordered the police to conduct an investigation into the recent torture of a 15-year-old murder suspect, saying it lacked credibility and that an independent and detailed probe was needed.
Opposition Leader Robert Corbin yesterday slammed the President’s statement and said it was an attempt to appease the various sections of society who have express-ed outrage at the entire episode. Speaking at the PNCR’s weekly press conference, he said “we’re not impressed by President Jagdeo’s statement to the media,” while adding that such a reaction has become the norm whenever the government is in any crisis.
On Thursday, President Jagdeo announced that he has given the force two weeks to complete an investigation into the allegations, after which all the perpetrators will face the full consequences. He said that if the report does not satisfy him other options outside of the police will be considered. He said that he has called for an “open investigation” and further said: “I think that we have to take the strongest possible action against all the perpetrators.” This action will not be limited to the direct participants, but all those involved will have “to bear some of the consequences,” Jagdeo added. He also ruled out extending the current investigation into other allegations of torture by members of the joint services.
Corbin recounted last year when there was a public outcry about the torture of three ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) by their own ranks, a Board of Inquiry was set up but the results were never released. Corbin said that in this context, the words of President Jagdeo “are like hot air” attempting to ease public concerns. He said that Guyanese should not be fooled by this ploy.
He added that for the inquiry to be credible, it needed to be conducted by a team of persons who had the confidence of the members of the public. He also accused the government of condoning torture and said if this were not the case it would have ordered investigations into other torture allegations. He said that this was clearly “a piecemeal approach by the government” that shows that only when there is intense scrutiny the administration feels compelled to respond.
Corbin said that his party will continue to keep the issue of torture alive. When asked if the party will be bringing the matter of torture before the National Assembly again, Corbin responded in the negative and explained that given the promised investigation by the President, the Speaker may not allow such a motion. The Opposition Leader explained that if there had been a sitting of the House on Thursday he would have attempted to do this. He, however, opined that the moves by the government were all a way of detracting from the public outrage over the torture.
Meanwhile Chairman of the AFC Khemraj Ramjattan said that the police have lost all credibility where investigating themselves is concerned and suggested that the best way to examine the torture allegations was for Guyana to get help from one of its sister Caricom states. He said that recent statements made by the Commissioner of Police Henry Greene on the matter shows that he is in a compromised position.
Ramjattan, who is lawyer for the boy at the centre of the case, also queried how the President could set a two-week deadline for such a massive investigation. He said that the President was attempting to secure political mileage by giving this time frame and said that if the police were to conduct the investigation, the police operational personnel would be the best persons to determine the timeline for the probe. “Two weeks is too short,” the AFC Chairman said. Ramjattan said that from the responses of the Commissioner his client would have to play an integral part in identifying the torturers and it is clear that he will have to be hospitalised for a lengthy period of time. According to him, this would prevent his client from attending any identification parade. He said that at the end of two weeks there “will be a half-baked report” which can easily be predicted.
GAP/ROAR MP Everall Franklin, when contacted, said that he “is glad that the President realises that something of this magnitude is worthy of an investigation.” He, however, suggested that this may be a case that the President may be “playing to the gallery” since the government has been very “inconsistent” when dealing with such issues. He said that other investigations needed to be done from 2002 onwards when there was widespread mayhem in the country.
- Everall Franklin
President of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) Teni Housty yesterday welcomed the announcement by the Head of State but opined that this was only dealing with the surface of a serious issue. He said the main question is what will be done after the investigations have been completed “since Guyanese are weary of commissions without action.” He said that the action would be an end to this particular phenomenon of torture.
Quizzed about the police being tasked with conducting this investigation, Housty said that the police force has a responsibility to conduct this probe but emphasised that the process needed to be transparent. He, however, opined that the members of the investigative team as well as the process involved, needed to be known to help establish the credibility of the probe.
Additionally, Housty said that there needed to be a wider investigation to deal with past allegations of torture.
Social activist Karen De Souza of Red Thread said that she “was not impressed” by the President’s announcement, explaining “we have no confidence in the police.” She said given the recent and past history of the police, she wouldn’t “want to give them two days to investigate anything much less two weeks.” She said that an independent investigation is needed.
Responding to the President’s statement that he is willing to consider other options if he found the police’s report to be wanting,” De Souza said that the President “is setting himself up as the sole arbitrator of what is acceptable and what is not.”
She said she expected the report by the police to produce scapegoats, which she said would be junior officers and maybe the Divisional Commander, since she has been named by those in political office.
De Souza said that she supported the President’s call for all culpable in the matter to face the consequences. She added that Red Thread is also condemning the recent attempts at arson of several public buildings as well as the other attacks by criminals. She said that Red Thread expects the police to bring those culpable for these acts before the courts “untortured.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Capt. Gerry Gouveia said that he was happy that an investigation is being conducted into the allegations. He said that while the PSC would have preferred an independent investigation, the members are willing to trust the judgment of the President. According to Gouveia, it was best to wait and see what will come out of the investigations especially since the President has promised to release the findings.