As the fallout from the killing of three Linden protesters by police on Wednesday continues to build, Eve Leary today said it wished to make it clear that it had not been issued with instructions by any “political personality” including ministers on how to handle the demonstrations in the mining town.
A police statement issued today said:
“Cognisant of rumours circulating among concerned members of the public, the Guyana Police Force wishes to categorically state that at no time was any directive or instruction given to the police, either verbally or in writing, by any political personality including Ministers of the Government, in relation to the policing of the protest demonstrations that have been occurring in the community of Linden since Wednesday July 18, 2012.
“The maintenance of law and order in the country is within the mandate of the Police Force and the Force Administration, inclusive of Divisional Commanders, has been unilaterally dealing with all administrative and operational aspects involved in the situation at Linden.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday also dissociated itself from the police operation. The Ministry in a statement said inter alia “The Ministry of Home Affairs wishes to emphasize that the events which took place at the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge was strictly a police operation with no direct or indirect involvement of the Ministry of Home Affairs”.
That statement also said that the ministry had directed the Police Commissioner, in accordance with the Police Act, to effect immediate changes at the command level of the division in which Linden falls.
