Dear Editor,
April 22, 2020 marks 14 years since the killing of Minister Satyadeow Sawh, his brother Rajpat, his sister Phulmattie, his security guard Curtis Robertson, and the family dog, Brutus. It was not only an episode of profound personal grief, but also a grisly smear on the modern history of Guyana.
It has been to the utter dismay of the Sawh family that, 14 years on, despite commentary, public statements, campaign promises and the invocation of the tragedy for political mileage by both sides of the divide, an inquiry has not been initiated, much less conducted. The ball has been in the courts of successive governments of both the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC, but has been left to sit in ominous stasis.
It is the family’s determined hope that whomever forms the government post-2020 elections will proceed with immediacy to launch an inquiry into the despicable tragedy of the Sawh killings. We have noted in the past that such an inquiry must be independent, thorough, and focused on both the criminal elements and the controlling minds involved. We add, given the inexplicable delay, that urgency must be exercised as well.
The electoral brouhaha post-March 2, 2020 has been a sad reminder of the sorts of events Sash Sawh dedicated his life to fighting against. Once this calamity subsides, it will be high time to reckon with his murder in order to bring badly needed closure and healing to his family – and to Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Roger Sawh
on behalf of the family of the
late Satyadeow ‘Sash’ Sawh
