Following allegations against Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers of rape and illegal home raids at Lethem, Region 9 and Hosororo Hill, Region 1 respectively, the army yesterday said that teams have been dispatched to investigate.
Promising that those found guilty of any of the alleged acts will be dealt with “condignly”, Chief of Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Mark Phillips told Stabroek News that the alleged perpetrators have been removed from active duty and confined to their respective bases.
“We have dispatched boards of inquiry teams to investigate, setting apart from what the police is doing,” Phillips informed.
“In order to conduct the investigation those who were implicated have to remain at the location,” he also said.
At Mabaruma in Region 1, residents of Hosororo Hill allege that members of the joint services invaded the homes of several families during the wee hours of Sunday, February 21st 2016, in search of suspects in an assault.
They described the actions of the servicemen, which included soldiers and at least one policeman, as “unprofessional” after they reportedly entered four different homes without permission or even providing any form of identification.
The men only stated that they were in search of some youths who allegedly assaulted a man on Saturday evening during a floodlight football match held in the community. This newspaper understands that the man, who got into the scuffle with a villager, is a soldier and he complained to his fellow ranks who went in search of the resident.
Two residents said based on how the soldiers acted, they appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
Due to the actions of the men, the roadways were blocked and the police were called in by residents to stop the situation from escalating.
This newspaper was told by a resident that that she was awakened around 4.30 am last week Sunday by the loud sounds of some men in the street. One of the men was armed with a handgun, she added, while noting that they drove around using a “soldier” vehicle.
The woman said the men entered the yard of her neighbour and started to shout for his grandson, Dave (only name given). As a result, she said, the elderly man got up to enquire who was shouting for his grandson but he was only told that it was the “police” and he should open his door.
However, before the man could open the door, the men reportedly kicked down the door and entered his home, from where they dragged the grandson and then took him to the vehicle. She said before he was taken to the vehicle and told to lay down he was hit to his ribs with the gun.
“They told him to lay down in the vehicle while they ask him where the other guys live but he didn’t say nothing because one of them was in the vehicle like he did already know but they did just asking,” the woman related.
Stabroek News was told that the four youths who were eventually arrested live in the same street, just some walking distance from each other.
“They went to Roger [Simon] house and his mother come out and open the door out of fright and after they keep shouting “police,” she ask them if they have any form of ID or so since they told her they wanted to search her house. But they said no, that they are police and she can’t tell them anything,” the woman added.
The army Chief of Staff said that four ranks are being investigated at Hosororo and the probe team will return with their findings this week.
At Lethem, he said that the team is investigating a rape and in no way will hamper ongoing police investigations. He explained that the ranks have been ordered confined to the base to facilitate the investigation and will remain there in the event they are charged for the rape.
The alleged victim said that she was raped on the base at Lethem by two ranks, one of whom tied her up.
“In the case of Lethem, if the allegation is rape and it has to go to court it would be in Lethem, so the ranks have to remain there…but they are confined to the base,” Phillips explained.
“The police will have to investigate and send their file to DPP and so forth but that is apart from our investigation because remember the allegation is that this thing happened on the base,” he added.
He said that at both bases there were adequate personnel to execute duties and the confined soldiers would not have to interface with residents of the communities.
The army also wants to establish if any of their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were broken by their ranks and pointed out that the necessary discipline will be meted out to the ranks, separate from whatever penalty the police instituted.
Phillips said that army SOP does not allow for fraternizing of its ranks and civilians at the army bases.
