Dear Editor,
Every individual is entitled to a fair trial as he/she is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The United States of America in its ‘war against terror’ has arrested a number of suspected terrorists from the Middle East and other parts of the world and are holding them in their Military Base in Guantanamo Bay Cuba.
This action has been criticized by persons both in and out of the Bush Administration. The entire administration of the war on terror is criticized by the Democratic Party yet we do not see Clinton or Obama, both of them being lawyers, representing the terror suspects in or out of court.
There were a few Britons who were detained by the Americans at Guantanamo Bay but the opposition in the House of Lords did not choose to use one of their lawyers to represent these persons.
There always must be a limit to the type of cases which a politician should choose to defend. A politician, like a priest, is judged by higher standards than the ordinary man. If he or she defends persons who are clearly seen to be suffering some sort of injustice, for instance children who are molested by adults, or against pollution of the environment, (and cases like these which outrage and affect the entire country) they are seen as a hero championing the cause of the weak.
The situation we have in Guyana is unheard of in any other democracy. We have leading members of the main Opposition – lawyers by profession representing persons who are perceived to be involved in crimes. The situation is made graver in that they do not only represent these individuals in the courtroom but they have turned the issue into a political one.
The PNCR and their leader Robert Corbin, I believe, have already pronounced on the innocence of the individuals. This was done even before the matter was heard in court or any evidence gathered by the police made public. It is also in the public domain that the police have evidence that is linked to the recent spate of crimes in Guyana
Basil Williams, a member of the central executive and a Member of Parliament of the PNCR has said that he will be filing habeas corpus writs until the persons detained have been released. This I find strange given that the PNCR has been condemning the Police and the Government for their apparent inaction in apprehending persons for these crimes. How is it that the PNCR could be so certain that the persons who were arrested are innocent?
Their failure to accept that the people of Buxton are being held hostage by a band of bandits is the other matter that baffles me. Their attitude gives the impression that there is something sinister about every success the joint services achieve. And this is being transmitted to their supporters.
If they are serious about supporting the joint services and seeing the end of crime then they would have no problem admitting it in public.
Yours faithfully,
Edward Simon
