As the probe intensifies into a missing AK 47 from Camp Ayanganna, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) yesterday announced that it has removed three senior officers from their posts and remanded another eight soldiers into police custody.
In addition, several others who worked as duty officers and orderly officers are to face serious disciplinary action immediately for failing to supervise the base security personnel during their tour of duty over the period that the weapon went missing, the GDF said in a hard-hitting statement yesterday afternoon which also took a swipe at retired Chief of Staff, Edward Collins. The statement was issued by both the army and the Government Information Agency.
The loss of the AK 47 is seen as a major embarrassment to the new army high command coming in the wake of the shocking vanishing of 30 of these weapons the previous year and a consequential shake-up in the GDF hierarchy.
Among the three officers who have been relieved of their duties are the Base Commander,Lieutenant Colone, Windee Algernon the Adjutant, Andy Pompey and the Base Sergeant of Camp Ayanganna, Warrant officer Torrington. The army statement said that the relieved officers have been instructed to hand over their respective duties to replacement officers who have already been appointed, and to make themselves available to the army and police investigators. The statement said too that eight army suspects are in police custody and more are likely to be detained as investigations continue.
Noting that the weapon was discovered missing on Friday, the GDF said in its statement that “standing orders provide for daily checks at the arms store and it is evident that those checks were not done because if they had been, then the weapon would have been discovered missing earlier.” The statement added that some army personnel involved in the fiasco leading to the missing weapon are to be court-martialled.
“The army states quite clearly that the missing weapon was not as a result of a system failure, but a clear case of army ranks at all levels failing to adhere to the standing operating procedures that govern their duties. There is clear evidence of officers and ranks using short cut methods to curtail their duty requirements as the evidence shows that serious breaches and short cut methods are very prevalent in the force.”
The military said its task is now two-fold: one to recover its missing weapon and second to weed out from its ranks those who are bent on being unprofessional and whose actions may be calculated to cause mischief and embarrassment to the force as a whole.
“The force is committed to being accountable to the public and civil administration, and must enjoy the confidence of the public at large,” the statement said, adding that this is now a top priority for the force as it is evident that standards have eroded significantly over the years where officers and ranks were used to receiving ‘pats on their backs’ for wrongs done as opposed to swift and fair justice.
The army is confident that its “swift action in this case will send a clear message to all officers and soldiers that accountability begins at the bottom and stops at the top”, the statement said, adding that it should be clear to all that once a rank holds an office, he/she will be held accountable for it.
Additionally, the statement said the army wished to state that the retired and disgruntled immediate past Chief of Staff Collins “spewed a lot of venom” to officers and ranks immediately prior to his departure from office which was undoubtedly calculated to cause mischief and turbulence in the force.
Renewed efforts
The missing rifle has come at a time when the recently installed administration at Camp Ayanganna is making renewed efforts to find the 16 outstanding weapons of the same calibre which were stolen from the army’s main base last year.
In a press statement on Saturday the army said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the loss of the weapon may have resulted from non-adherence to existing standing orders by ‘elements’ of the Base Command structure and personnel on security duties. “The entire command structure of the unit has since been relieved of their appointments and duties to facilitate the investigations and disciplinary proceedings have already been initiated against officers and soldiers,” the army statement said.
Up to yesterday the army had no clue as to where the weapon might be. A senior officer told Stabroek News that searches were still being conducted at the base, although there is every possibility that the weapon has already vanished from the compound. “The weapon could have been stripped and smuggled out,” the senior officer, who asked not be named said.
Stabroek News was told that the weapon was issued to a reservist. According to reports during a routine check of the arms inventory at the guard room, it was discovered that the rifle was missing. Stabroek News was told that the reservist might have turned in the weapon after using it as there was a record showing that he did so. Following the discovery that the weapon had vanished, the army base was closed. No one was permitted to enter or leave the compound. One rank told Stabroek News that a list with a number of names was prepared and handed to the soldiers manning the gate. It was not until around 11 pm on Friday that some of the ranks were allowed to leave but only after it was verified that their names were not on the list at the gate. Last year February the army made the shocking announcement that 30 AK 47 rifles and six pistols were spirited away from the storage bond at Camp Ayanganna. Fourteen of the weapons have since been recovered, mostly from the hands of criminals connected to the Buxton/Agricola criminal gang. The GDF had initiated court-martial proceedings against two officers: John Peters who has since been sentenced and the other, Tony Ross whose matter is still before the court. Ross was the commander of the Ordnance Corps, a unit responsible for the storage and distribution of weapons in the army. Ross is facing four charges relating to negligence of duty. Warrant officer, Peters was the first officer to be charged. He was found guilty on an offence relating to the missing weapon, but now retired Chief of Staff, Brigadier Collins used his powers under the Defence Act to remit the sentence. Peters following a court-martial was found guilty on charges of conduct and neglect to the prejudice of good order and military discipline. He was sentenced to one year’s detention and reduced to the rank of Private. However, on August 16 Collins, utilizing the powers granted to him under Section 111 (4) of the Defence Act 15:01, remitted the Warrant Officer’s sentence of detention. In effect it meant that Peters no longer served time in detention, but the army had made it clear that his conviction still stood as did the sentence reducing him to the rank of Private. Additionally, the GDF said that Peters will receive his benefits for serving in the force, but these would be in the rank of Private. Senior army sources had told this newspaper in October that their exercise to recover the remaining missing weapons was ongoing. The joint services following the theft of the weapons had conducted numerous raids across Georgetown, the East Coast and in Berbice. During the raids the homes of several suspected drug dealers were targeted at which time cocaine and other illegal weapons were seized.
President Jagdeo at the swearing-in of Commodore Gary Best as the new Chief of Staff had reiterated that the recovery of the weapons must be a major focus of the new army command and he noted that in his discussions with the officers he mentioned this to them.
