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Photos of ‘wanted men’ not released to Stabroek News

Photographs of six more men said to be wanted by the police in connection with the Lusignan and Bartica massacres have not been released by the police force to Stabroek News.

The February 23 edition of the Guyana Chronicle carried on its front page the photographs of six persons said to be wanted by the police. A day later, the Kaieteur News carried on its front page the six photographs and its headline on page three accompanying the photographs said that the police had released photos of “Buxton gang members”.

To date, Stabroek News has not received the press release or the photographs. When this newspaper checked with the Police Public Relations Office on Sunday and yesterday the office said it was unaware of the press release and the photos.

Asked for an explanation, Press and Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Police Force, Ivelaw Whittaker told this newspaper that he had “no comment”. When the Guyana Defence Force public relations office was contacted yesterday, it referred Stabroek News back to the Guyana Police Force.

Stabroek News Editor Anand Persaud yesterday condemned what he said was the selective release of information by the police/Joint Services to media houses. He said there could be no justification whatsoever for this practice which appears to occur above the level of the public relations office. Persaud said that this recurring problem was recently raised with UK advisor John Beverly who was here to work with the police on media relations as part of the British-funded Security Sector Reform Action Programme (SSRAP). Persaud said the problem was also discussed at a subsequent two-day seminar that the advisor presided over.

Persaud contended that programmes like SSRAP and others would not succeed if the police and Joint Services did not begin to behave professionally towards all sectors of society including the media.

Persaud argued that the public will have very little confidence in the Joint Services if it discerned that it was behaving unprofessionally in the disseminating of crucial public information.

Persaud said this latest incident is reminiscent of the release of a sketch of a suspect in the murder of a USAID official several years ago here.

Persaud said in that case the release of the sketch was said to have been done unprofessionally by a senior officer to the Kaieteur News. This matter was meant to have been investigated. The Editor said that the premature and selective release of the sketch may have irreparably damaged that particular murder investigation.

Persaud called on the Acting Commissioner of Police Henry Greene to investigate the selective release of the photographs and to make his findings available to the public.

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16 Responses to “Photos of ‘wanted men’ not released to Stabroek News”

roula
on September 15th, 2008 10:13 am

Is the bodygard with a k7 in a bag?

[Reply to this]
DMACK
on September 18th, 2008 7:35 am

Government +Government run newspaper=Dictatorship.

[Reply to this]
tyronemiller
In reply to the above comment on September 22nd, 2008 11:00 am:
we dnt need the photo we need the video clip tyhe gov said the dnt want to release cause i know that there is none

[Reply to this]
Vickram Rajpaul
on September 18th, 2008 7:52 am

Please post more pictures. I’m a son of Lusignan, currently serving in the US Air Force, living in Portugal. I longed to see my brother, my Pandit Hardesh Tiwari and fellow mandir members. Thanks, you don’t know how much this will mean to me.

V/r
Vick

[Reply to this]
sita
In reply to the above comment on October 13th, 2008 10:46 am:
wow, i wish u luck, finding people from lusignan, and your mandir members,
that is so nice of u to reach out like this……

[Reply to this]
geeteerebel
In reply to the above comment on October 15th, 2008 10:10 am:
Vick perhaps you’re long overdue for a trip…
Guyana lil rotten but its still ours and we cannot forget about it..
After all “home is where the heart is”…..

[Reply to this]
tiger
on September 19th, 2008 12:23 pm

restricted press freedom to those who are deemed to be antigovt, i presumed.sad indeed.

[Reply to this]
carese
on September 20th, 2008 1:29 am

ask chronicle or kaiture for the nah!!

[Reply to this]
genghis khan
on September 20th, 2008 11:05 am

Kudos to DEMOCRACY in Guyana!!!!!!

[Reply to this]
Ankoko
on September 25th, 2008 9:53 am

The silence of those in control is deafening on issues of this type. Without a clear explanation for these kinds of acts and its relative position the administration is condoning this infringement of media freedom.
Somebody please get me a searchlight to see if I can find this DEMOCRACY that supposedly exists here!!!!

[Reply to this]
Sheik Deen
on September 26th, 2008 7:07 pm

It is a democratic way to move ahead in a developing society by opening to the media and let them publish issues that is hurting the development of beautiful
“GUYANA”, not withstanding, media personnel must deliver the goods in a professional and honest way,they should not be bias politically. On the other hand all the media houses should have access to information given out to the media and not selected few, this is not democracy. Remember “Guyana” belong to all Guyanese and not a selected few. Stand up for a democratic “GUYANA”. Thank you

[Reply to this]
eloise
on September 28th, 2008 5:10 am

stand up for a democratic guyana

please my friend,s stand up for democratic guyana.

it is best for guyana people.

[Reply to this]
shyboilex
on September 29th, 2008 3:40 pm

I guess Guyanese are now understanding that the JADGEO ADMINISTRATION is all about DICTATORSHIP.It started with the JANET JAGAN ADMINISTRATION.I wonder if she had her way what Guyana was going to become. Guyanese need to stand up and fight for freedom. the press also need to come to gother and fight for press freedom

[Reply to this]
lonestar
on October 9th, 2008 10:43 am

The Stabroek News reporters should get up from their lazy ‘arse’ and go do some real “invistegative reporting”.

[Reply to this]
geeteerebel
In reply to the above comment on October 15th, 2008 10:13 am:
so they can get their ads pulled again…..?

[Reply to this]
Dinstinct
on October 11th, 2008 9:43 am

guyana oh guyana

[Reply to this]