Swearing to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, soldier Michael Dunn on Saturday told of his experience with members of the Military Criminal Investigation De-partment (MCID) during a one-hour long interview with army officials at his home.
The mother of the 20-year-old soldier, Carmelita Dunn told Stabroek News yesterday that the army officials had requested to meet with Dunn at his home. She said her son was made to hold a Bible and swear before giving his testimony, which was carefully chronicled by Guyana Defence Force officials. She said following that her son was cross-examined by the officials who after conducting the interview promised to make contact with the soldier shortly.
Dunn had told this newspaper that he would not return to the military after being whipped with a metal pipe, slashed across the left heel and shocked about the body during interrogation over a missing AK-47 rifle by officers attached to the MCID.
The army had issued a wanted bulletin for the young man last week Thursday saying that he was absent without official leave (AWOL) and should report to Camp Ayanganna immediately in connection with a matter of security interest. However, the young man’s mother said he was officially on medical leave and was not AWOL as had been claimed by the GDF. Another soldier, Alvin Wilson who was similarly mistreated by MCID operatives was also summoned to return to the military. He did so on Friday. Up to yesterday army sources said that Wilson and another rank, Sharth Robertson, whose weapon went missing, were being investigated. Stabroek News was told that the army intends to court-martial the soldiers.
A number of organisations have condemned the army’s treatment of the soldiers. On Friday the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) ex-pressed “grave concern over the allegations. The lawyers body said that more allegations and evidence of torture have surfaced raising more questions on top of those that are still unanswered. The association said taken against the backdrop of the current campaign against violence, it seems inconsistent that whilst violence against women and children is condemned, and rightly so, other incidences of violence are treated with less priority and concern and made to seem somehow tolerable, a notion that is repugnant and in contradiction to the maintenance of the rule of law in our society.
The African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) said that these new allegations of torture levelled at GDF officers demonstrate that those in charge of the state have now embraced torture as a justifiable means to an end. Taking a swipe at Rohee for his “unpacking barrels statement and Jagdeo’s contemptuous public dismissal” of the issue, ACDA said it was not surprising. “The attitudes and utterances of these two high government officials are intended to send clear signals to Guyanese about the extent that the PPP/C government is prepared to go to trample on the fundamental rights of citizens of Guyana”.
On Wednesday the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) had called for an independent body to probe the allegations and stated that should it be the case that persons are found guilty of torture, they should be dealt with condignly.
The Guyana Human Rights Association has also said that it is totally unacceptable for the GDF to treat the soldiers in such a manner. Noting that it would approach the army for a response the GHRA said that it is very concerned about the allegations since they were coming mere months after two Buxtonians were allegedly similarly treated while in the army’s custody.
The main opposition PNCR said that it would be approaching the UN committee on torture as it intended to internationalize the issue, exposing the ‘callous’ nature of the Jagdeo administration.
The military had originally said that it was unaware of the allegations of torture although admitting that several persons were questioned in connection with the missing weapon. It said that an investigation had been launched.
