The Ministry of Home Affairs is reviewing laws which regulate the granting of firearm licences in light of recent incidents where licensed firearm holders have irresponsibly used their weapons.
The intent of this exercise, according to the ministry, is to ensure that licences for weapons only end up in the hands of persons who are fit enough to hold them.
The decision has been taken as a result of the ministry’s recognition of the recent trend where licensed firearms holders have used their weapons in ways inconsistent with the terms under which the licences were granted. Instead, the ministry said, the use of licensed weapons ought to be guided by the safety
rules which are printed on the reverse side of all such licences.
A Home Affairs Ministry advertisement in yesterday’s Sunday Chronicle said the ministry assures “citizens that work is underway to review the laws for the granting of firearm licences with a view to implementing strong measures to ensure that, as far as possible, only suitable persons are approved to be licensed to carry firearms.”
In the advertisement, the ministry reminded current licensed firearms holders that their prerogative to carry weapons does not give them the power to breach Guyana’s laws, as has been done in some cases.
For years, there have been reports of licensed firearm holders using their weapons in ways inconsistent with the terms under which they received their licences, the advertisement said.
And, though the ministry has said that holders of these licences “are expected to be persons of good character, sober-minded and responsible,” there are several cases where persons with questionable characters have been able to legally acquire a gun licence.
The most recent case is that of businessman Derrick Kanhai, who, using a shotgun and a pistol he possessed licences for, and a pistol which was unlicensed, raged a one-man war against ranks of the Guyana Police Force from his fortress-like residence in Middle Street for nearly three hours in November.
By the time Kanhai was brought down, two police officers and two civilians were dead, and another civilian was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital after being shot several times. After it was found out that two of Kanhai’s weapons were acquired legally, questions were raised as to why he had been issued licences for weapons, particularly since he had shot himself to the chin on one occasion.
Residents of Middle Street and employees of the Crown Cabs Taxi Service had even said that Kanhai, on several occasions had come outside and discharged his firearm in the air for no apparent reason. Additionally, a close friend says that he wrote to the police in an attempt to caution them against issuing the man a gun licence, to no avail.
Despite these occurrences, which should have been more than sufficient to disqualify Kanhai, he was successful in attaining not one, but two licences. These licences bore the signature of the late former Police Commissioner Henry Greene.
Members of the public are being encouraged by the Home Ministry to call the ministry’s 911 hotline, contact the nearest police station, or access its BBM or Online Crime Reporting System to report any observed misuse of firearms.
The BBM pins are 2804E429 and 2828B269, and emails can be sent to crimestoppersgy@yahoo.com; crimestoppers@hotmail.com; crimestoppers@gmail.com or homemin@guyana.net.gy. The ministry promised that persons desirous of supplying them with information will not be required to divulge their identity.
The ministry also says that it is working towards ridding the streets of all illegal firearms.
