-Jagdeo
President Bharrat Jagdeo is maintaining that he will determine whether further action is needed on the pending police torture report, but assures that findings of the internal probe would be made available for members of the public to judge for themselves.
Bharrat Jagdeo
Responding to a question posed by this newspaper during a news conference at the Office of the President (OP) yesterday, President Jagdeo said he will determine based on his own information and judgment whether the probe was adequate, but stressed the media and public would also be able to also to view results and exercise that judgment. “I didn’t say I will get the report and I will keep it in my pocket and be the sole judge. The report would be public and I will determine if it requires further investigation in my judgment…” Jagdeo stated. Further, he added that if he considers the investigation to be inadequate then he may decide that there would be need for a commission of inquiry. He also noted that despite statements by Opposition Leader Robert Corbin in the National Assembly on Thursday, he had not set up a commission of inquiry.
Jagdeo said that the police force is expected to release a report following a comprehensive investigation. “By next Thursday the report would be out,” he noted. Last week the President had announced that he had given the force two weeks to complete an investigation into the allegations, after which all the perpetrators would face the full consequences. He said that if the report does not satisfy him other options outside of the police will be considered.
Following statements by the president last week, when he said he would be willing to consider other options if he found the police’s report to be wanting, social activist Karen De Souza criticised the head-of-state for “setting himself up as the sole arbitrator of what is acceptable and what is not.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the main opposition reiterated that in order for the investigation to be considered credible, it must be done by independent inquiry. PNCR executive Cheryl Sampson said that there must be an inquiry by independent persons of integrity and the party would only recognise positive action in this regard, instead of the police force investigating itself.
Cheryl Sampson
According to Sampson, the party believes that the probe was reduced in reality to a quiet, in-house investigation by the very accused agency-the police force. She further added that the public announcement that police had been charged was soon followed by a statement from Commissioner of Police Henry Greene that police were awaiting the identification of the perpetrators by the victim to continue with the matter. This is a manoeuvre which cannot fool the nation, she said. “Guyanese read the news report that the doctor who examined the victim while in custody reported that the police had the victim hooded during the medical examination. More significantly, the President has shown no resolve to deal with the issue of torture,” she said. Sampson also said that the latest action by the President is reminiscent of his announcement of the Board of Inquiry into the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), when the torture of the GDF ranks by that organisation was exposed. To date, despite the undertakings, the report is still secret, she said.
The PNCR also criticised the president for adamantly refusing to have that inquiry investigate other allegations of torture against the security forces, saying the obvious message being sent to the security forces is that torture is approved to be used against anyone except the teen and three ranks of the GDF. “Empty statements and promises no longer impress the PNCR and most Guyanese. Only positive action would be recognised. The PNCR reiterates that the Force against whom the allegation is made cannot investigate itself,” Sampson said, adding that an inquiry by independent persons of integrity is essential.
who is this guy Jagdeo anyway? What he thinks this is a puppet show. We less talk. No PR stunts. People fed up.
Torture ? wha about the more imporant challenges facing the disciplined forces regarding dealing with a bunch of criminals and terrorists doing much, much more damage to Guyana and its people ?
Guyana police and army, listen to the majority of people ! Rogue elements will be investigated and rlieved of duties if found guilty but you continue to do what you have to do with a firm hand to preserve the achievments and successes of the Guyanese people from those who wish to undermine them. You have the suppport of all right and fair minded thinking Guyanese who know political opportunism when they see it. DO WHAT YOU ARE MANDATED TO DO !
Reddy, does a firm hand include the use of “lil mentilated spirit and matchis”?
This man just does not know how to delegate. Every decision must be made by this man. All the true and sad signs of a dictator. Give your team powers to act. If they fall short too many times or constantly fail terminate them. After a while you’ll also have to look yourself in the mirror since you’re selecting these people for the positions.
imagine that! dictator jagdeo will determine whether any further action is need in the torture case. are these people for real…i would recommend a tribunal to investigate jagdeo and his high handedness in matters that should concern the attorney general and the police.
If it was your child, you would be saying something different. Anyway “rain dont fall at one man door”
SEEMS AS IF REDDY IS MANDATED TO BLOG…by the way crime has a return ticket to the GoG and it officials, if real investigation should start there would be no GoG…and no Reddy blogging from the Rock….doo yu best b-kaz come 2010 U might also bee INSIDE-LOOKING-OUT…or even facing the TRUBUNE right here where I am in THE NETHERLANDS…IN HOLLAND
IN DEN HAAG…IN EUROPE….would be a good change,because guyana needs to be rid of you and yours
Jagdeo said he will determine based on his own information and judgment whether the probe was adequate, but stressed the media and public would also be able to also to view results and exercise that judgment. “I didn’t say I will get the report and I will keep it in my pocket and be the sole judge. The report would be public and I will determine if it requires further investigation in my judgment…” Jagdeo stated. Further, he added that if he considers the investigation to be inadequate then he may decide that there would be need for a commission of inquiry. He also noted that despite statements by Opposition Leader Robert Corbin in the National Assembly on Thursday, he had not set up a commission of inquiry.
Comments: Doesn’t the president sound like the Ayatolah, or Maximus, or the Caesar.
PRESIDENT JAGDEO WILL MAKE THE FINAL DECISION WHETHER THE FINAL REPORT IS ADEQUATE OR NOT. HOUR BY HOUR REPORT OF THE TORTURE OF THE YOUNG SHOULD BE GIVEN . ALSO THE POLICE WHO WERE GIVING THE PARENTS THE RUN AROUND AS WHERE THE LAD WAS. ALSO DOES THE DOCTOR. DOES HE NORMALLY TREAT HOODED PRISONERS. AND WHY THE POLICE HAS ITS OWN DOCTORS. CORBIN MUST CARRY ON THE FIGHT WITH ALL THE VARIOUS PARTIES. I DID NOT READ CONDEMNATION FROM THE RELIGIOUS SECTOR. AT LEAST, THE HOSPITAL SHOULD CONTINHE TO TREAT THE WOUNDS OF THE LAD AS OUT PATIENT OR GIVE OINTMENT TO THE FAMILY.
I agree with you MP Sampson. Why the President is so eager to let the general public know about this torture incident and not those
that allegedly take place at Camp Ayanganna by Major Omar Khan and
Captain Sukhol of the Guyana Defence Force ?.
-ditto-
MR WEST BANK these are all incidents that should be copied and sent to the different organisation as support to our protest. you guys seem to be very good at the computer so use you technique and spread the information.we the ones who have unlimited access to the IT must cover for those whose access are linited by on and off line, not forgetting the BLOCK-OUTS. Get to work guys…LETS GIVE OUR SUPPORT WHOLEY AND SOULY
What is this a one man show ? Jagde & Jagdeo. You know what ? Guyanese you got what you voted for. A poor excuse for a leader.
Second and third that.
I don’t understand this circus. The young man was tortured while in police custody. Is there no line of costudy when he was being moved from place to place? Who got the confession from him, and who was present during the confession? and how did his injuries occur and when? We are wasting tax payers money in an attempt to coverup gross incompetence and arrogance.
Mack, the lad did not confess to the murder, that’s the reason the foolices continued to beat and tortured him.
“You nah wan to confess, now we gan throw de spirit and light ya with de fia.”
They even wrote a confession and told him to sign it, he refused, stating he cannot read nor write.
THE FINAL COUNT DOWN ONE MAN AND ONLY ONE MAN WOULD SAY IF HE IS SATIFIED BEFORE SOMETHING ELSE CAN BE DONE, I CAN’T BELIEVED IT. SHERYL SAMSPON WAS ALSO RIGHT SHE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT NONSENSE MR GREENE IS SHOOTING.
Perhaps Jagdeo means well. But this idea where he must constantly get involved in managing people and individual situations is/has been hurting his image and takes away from him governing the country effectively. For the life of me, I can’t understand why doesn’t he and the parliamentarians pass effective laws and set up effective systems and structures so that anytime somebody falls off they will be dealt with in the harshest way by the punitive structures within the system/laws and not him(Jagdeo) personally. Besides, doing this will bring more predictability to society. It is disappointing that a president’s time will be spent dealing with the acts committed by two (junior)police officers on a minor; as atrocious as the act itself was. The president must find better use of his time and stop being so intimately involved in everything happening there. It should be either the system works or it doesn’t and if it doesn’t then fix it. It is either the people responsible for the implementation and managing these systems are doing their job or not and if they are not replace them and hold them too responsible for the failures. It is called administration 101 and maybe should be made mandatory learning for the president, all ministers and decision makers back there. Everything seems to be a surprise to many and the decision is left to the judgment of one person, the president. It is time to get Guyana out of its permanent crisis response mode and free up the administrators’ time to focus on elevating people out of poverty. The people need that.
Cummins, that’s why many are calling the jagdeo’s administration an elected dictatorship, because all decission are made by the president, before a minister makes a statement he have to consult first with the president before they utter a word, tell me what is that all about.
CUMMINS, MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY,.. I HAVE recently expressed, similar concerns,… PRES. JAGDEO,.. is doing himself and his colleagues much harm by increasingly sounding like the sole arbiter of “issues guyana”.. for me this is unfortunate, .because I believe the PRES. HAS DONE A LOT OF GOOD FOR THIS COUNTRY,… but political narcism seems to have taken hold of the gentleman… and is providing usefull amunition to “enemies” of the state…I THINK ITS TIME HIS CABINET STAND UP AND INSIST ON A TURN IN DIRECTION..
Any report on torture by the police should be done by persons not connected to the police force.A commission of inquiry should be set up to investigate these allegations of torture.TORTURE IS WRONG!
Marc how come you going against your party, you better be careful before you get ex-communicated.
Not my party!Never had the chance to vote in Guyana and i count that as a blessing,you think its easy choosing between a Rock and a Hard Place?
ok, my friend, but they way you blog makes one wonder who you are affiliated with, i stand for truth and right, despite who’s the ruling party.
Marc contact your HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH AND BEG THEM TO PLEA OUR CAUSE
THIS LEADER HAVE TO ENSURE, THE PEOPLE ,THAT THIS KINDA STUFF WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN,