-Jagdeo
President Bharrat Jagdeo is maintaining that he will determine whether further action is needed on the pending police torture report, but assures that findings of the internal probe would be made available for members of the public to judge for themselves.
Responding to a question posed by this newspaper during a news conference at the Office of the President (OP) yesterday, President Jagdeo said he will determine based on his own information and judgment whether the probe was adequate, but stressed the media and public would also be able to also to view results and exercise that judgment. “I didn’t say I will get the report and I will keep it in my pocket and be the sole judge. The report would be public and I will determine if it requires further investigation in my judgment…” Jagdeo stated. Further, he added that if he considers the investigation to be inadequate then he may decide that there would be need for a commission of inquiry. He also noted that despite statements by Opposition Leader Robert Corbin in the National Assembly on Thursday, he had not set up a commission of inquiry.
Jagdeo said that the police force is expected to release a report following a comprehensive investigation. “By next Thursday the report would be out,” he noted. Last week the President had announced that he had given the force two weeks to complete an investigation into the allegations, after which all the perpetrators would face the full consequences. He said that if the report does not satisfy him other options outside of the police will be considered.
Following statements by the president last week, when he said he would be willing to consider other options if he found the police’s report to be wanting, social activist Karen De Souza criticised the head-of-state for “setting himself up as the sole arbitrator of what is acceptable and what is not.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the main opposition reiterated that in order for the investigation to be considered credible, it must be done by independent inquiry. PNCR executive Cheryl Sampson said that there must be an inquiry by independent persons of integrity and the party would only recognise positive action in this regard, instead of the police force investigating itself.
According to Sampson, the party believes that the probe was reduced in reality to a quiet, in-house investigation by the very accused agency-the police force. She further added that the public announcement that police had been charged was soon followed by a statement from Commissioner of Police Henry Greene that police were awaiting the identification of the perpetrators by the victim to continue with the matter. This is a manoeuvre which cannot fool the nation, she said. “Guyanese read the news report that the doctor who examined the victim while in custody reported that the police had the victim hooded during the medical examination. More significantly, the President has shown no resolve to deal with the issue of torture,” she said. Sampson also said that the latest action by the President is reminiscent of his announcement of the Board of Inquiry into the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), when the torture of the GDF ranks by that organisation was exposed. To date, despite the undertakings, the report is still secret, she said.
The PNCR also criticised the president for adamantly refusing to have that inquiry investigate other allegations of torture against the security forces, saying the obvious message being sent to the security forces is that torture is approved to be used against anyone except the teen and three ranks of the GDF. “Empty statements and promises no longer impress the PNCR and most Guyanese. Only positive action would be recognised. The PNCR reiterates that the Force against whom the allegation is made cannot investigate itself,” Sampson said, adding that an inquiry by independent persons of integrity is essential.