President Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday said the claim that members of the army moved the bodies of missing sugar workers from the front of Buxton to the backlands in 2005 would have to be probed by police as the sole constitutional authority for investigating criminality.

The main sugar union GAWU has registered its concern about the testimony of former Roger Khan lawyer Robert Simels, who told a jury that senior army officials instructed the removal of the bodies of the sugar workers to the back of Buxton. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has been silent on the issue and retired Brigadier Edward Collins, the Chief of Staff during the period when the act was allegedly committed, disconnected the call when a comment was sought from him on the telephone.

Asked whether as Commander-in-Chief he had sought a response from the army, Jagdeo maintained Friday that it was an issue for the police. “I have the same answer to GAWU as I had for the PNC,” he said, explaining that he could not be “inconsistent” by asking the army to investigate when GAWU lobbies while at the same time insisting that the police investigate when other groups lobby. He said too: “These matters are going to be investigated by the police. Because what is the army leadership going to say? Whether Collins gave instructions to move dead bodies? This is a criminal act if it’s true and the police have to investigate.”

Simels, while giving testimony on his own behalf in the face of witness tampering charges, named three former senior GDF officials as being the ones who ordered the removal of the bodies of sugar workers from the front  to the back of neighbouring Buxton village, East Coast Demerara. No further information was provided. Although cautious about the evidence, GAWU said it was concerned, noting that there had long been rumours of GDF personnel working with the organized criminals.

It further noted that the former GDF officers named offered no denials. “Since, based on the testimonies and allegations so far made during the trials, top (government) officials are being accused and hounded for explanations, should not those officers identified in the same court be called upon for a response?” the union asked.

It was unclear which sugar workers Simels was referring to during his testimony. There are, however, two cases from 2005 that fit the description, being those of Sampersaud Taranauth of Enterprise and Maikhram Sawh of Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara, who disappeared while cleaning a GuySuCo drainage canal aback of Vigilance, the village which borders Buxton; and Sookram Dhanai of Non Pareil and Hardat of Annandale, who also disappeared while guarding punts and other articles at a place called ‘Spring Bridge’ in the Lusignan backlands.

Despite intensive searches spearheaded by the police and the army, no trace of the men has ever been found. Both the government and the security services had come in for criticism over their failure to find the men.