The motivation for today’s offering may be three-fold: to be most brief; to quote other people’s powerful, relevant views and to repeat for emphasis, my own strongly-held opinions on the issue of something called Guyanese “justice”.
So okay, unstructured as I can be, I quote from Help and Shelter: “The employment by Dr. Rambarran and the Ministry of Health of a known child sexual offender is in breach of the new Sexual Offences Act, which seeks to prevent the employment of convicted sexual offenders in jobs where they have access and are in positions of trust with respect to children.
By section 19(1) of the Act positions of trust include where “the accused looks after persons who are accommodated and cared for in one of the following institutions (i) hospital (ii) an independent clinic.”
Further, section 35(1) states, “any conduct or act done by a resident or citizen of Guyana in a country or territory outside of Guyana shall be deemed to be a sexual offence under the law of Guyana if, (a) constituted an offence under the law in force in that country or territory, (b) would constitute a sexual offence under this Act had it been committed in Guyana.”
Great stuff that, from our well-crafted comprehensive Sexual Offences Act 2010. And good job H and S. I endorse full scrutiny of all care-givers and medical practitioners who must come into intimate contact with our most vulnerable, the sick and the young.
That’s why I quote from one Mahendra Jagmohan too: “We have seen the judicial system fail our children by allowing case folders to go missing. We have seen payoffs and bribes to the impoverished children to stay quiet.
We must send a strong message to the thieves, crooks, con artists, bribe takers, abductors, wife beaters and child abusers (including medical doctors) that there is a zero tolerance.”
Well put Sir, but I despair for fair-play in our society where poverty and need compromise strength of character and the pursuit of real justice.
The system’s supermarket, paraphernalia
Many many years ago I had dubbed aspects of our criminal justice system tantamount to a supermarket. I meant a kind of bartering, bargaining shop wherein justice could be sold and bought according to one’s status, influence and money. (The American Justice System provides for plea-bargaining – the full sentence can be reduced and even a guilty party accesses less severe penalties, turns informant and witness for the prosecution. Speedy trial, watered-down “justice!”)
Oh but here in the justice challenged home-town the Barons and the nouveau riche, the upstart parvenu and politically-affiliated, just pay for the best Defence Counsel, delays of start of trials through overloaded backlogs and too few judges, especially.
Files, case jackets, bad ID parades, medical-expert testimony, absolutely poor police work and record-keeping and eventual prosecution can all be engineered to let the rapist, drug lord and rapist walk free in this land.
One original meaning of “paraphernalia” was “articles of personal property that law allowed married women to keep and treat as their own.” Irrelevant here, but did you read about the magistrate not having the right type of stationery to record evidence in a high-profile case a few days ago? Was it not known before-hand that the case would have been called that morning? No further comment necessary.
I divert to wonder again: why don’t our Judiciary’s Chancellor or our Attorney General respond to the annual US State Department Country Reports which consistently flays our judicial system as being unreliable, suspect and designed to delay or subvert? Why? Can’t defend? At least, point to defects in their system…
A military president-in-waiting
Frankly Speaking, I’ve decided not to “go to town” with this item as I had originally planned, reasons relevant include my not voting any more for anyone at elections and more importantly, Mr Winston Murray’s seemingly terminal indisposition right now.
But to me David Granger’s interest in attempting to be my and my country’s president is both intriguing and refreshing. The issue is – how does the PNC rank-and-file and fellow-executives view him? To me he has little baggage, representing a welcome break from both the political dinosaurs and the younger would-be pretenders to the O.P.
He is a gifted officer and a gentleman yes, but also (once?) a single-minded, loyal military/political historian.
He’ll certainly be able to attract and galvanise some of the best brains around him – at home and from the Diaspora. Pity I won’t be voting, my academic comrade.
Two parting shots however: Granger tends to almost canonize Forbes Burnham. He recently sought to contextualize and explain away the Founder-Leader’s excesses. Personally, I don’t feel that Burnham, Jagan or Hoyte qualify for political sainthood David. They can’t even fill Nelson Mandela’s sandals.
Secondly, I’m being a bit facetious here.
Suppose we do have military President Granger by next year-end? Do you realize that Brazil will then be led by a lady who experienced both military and insurgents’ travails? And both Venezuela and Suriname have former military men as leaders.
Granger for president – or what?
Ponder…
• 1) My age and old fashioned principles do not allow me to quote publicly every conversation I’ve had with prominent, political, influential folks. It could be crude, insensitive and unethical.
However I’m sure that Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh would recall telling me at Sophia how much he respected/respects Winston Murray’s knowledge, prowess and grasp of issues in Parliament.
• 1B) Why is it that some (suspected) public servants found to be stealing or corrupt, are sent on leave, or dismissed, but never prosecuted?
• 2) Come on President J: Remember elections next year! Increase old-age pensions! Seven-to-ten percent increases for all public servants by next December 10!?
’Til next week!
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