Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee yesterday said that only the Guyana Police Force has the task of dismantling the criminal enterprise and “not any private militias, not any phantom group, not any individual who has personal vendettas, that is an era that is left behind.”
The minister, who was at the time speaking at the force’s annual wreath-laying ceremony for its fallen members, did not specify which period he was speaking about. It appeared however to be a reference to the period just after the 2002 jail-break when drug accused businessman Roger Khan and his group became involved in the fight against criminals. Khan, who is now in a US jail, had publicly stated that he used his own resources to assist the administration in its fight against criminals.
The minister told the police officers to go after the criminals at any cost while issuing a clarion call to the media to support the force and not to “scoff” or “rubbish” its successes.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police (ag), Henry Greene said his men would go after the “demented” and sick-minded criminals and dismantle their enterprise. He asked the public for patience and to remember that members of the force are mere humans who sometimes err. The commissioner made mention of the recent massacres, at Lusignan, Bartica and more recently Lindo Creek where eight men were killed and their bodies burnt. He asserted that all of these have been committed by a group of men who feel that law and order should not prevail. He stated the country is experiencing a crime situation like never before and many of his ranks are affected by the constant battle with heavily armed criminals so much so that they have to seek psychological assistance so that they can be “balanced once again.” The Lindo Creek massacre has sparked controversy over allegations that the Joint Services were involved
‘What cause?’
Minister Rohee stated that there are some in the society who give “thanks and praises” for a cause which see police ranks as an obstacle in achieving the cause.
“What is this cause?… How can this be a cause when it has to do with eliminating and snuffing out the lives of law officers and lawmen? What is this cause they advanced when it has to do with depriving families of a father and a husband? What is this cause when it has to do with promoting and establishing a criminal enterprise? What is this cause when it has to do with promoting fear and terror in our country?”
The minister said clearly it cannot be a just cause and as such should be defeated at any cost.
“And who has that responsibility to defeat this cause? The task falls to the Guyana Police Force, not any private militias, not any phantom group, not any individuals who have personal vendettas, that is an era that is left behind,” the minister said. He said the force must always be in the forefront in the battle to crush any group that seeks to disrupt order in the country. Rohee told the ranks that the best tribute they can pay to their fallen heroes is to “capture by any means, and I emphasise that, by any means possible this notorious group of men and dismantle the enterprise which gives them support.” He called on all Guyanese to support the force while pointing out that those who died made the ultimate sacrifice of ensuring that law and order is maintained.
‘Media should help’
And according to Rohee the media should not only convey messages of the sensational type which make their newspapers sell. “Maybe an activity like today would not make a newspaper sell, but what is the most important one? Is it to make the newspaper sell or is it to get the message across? To my mind, and I say so not as a politician, I say so as someone who has children”.
The minister said that recent events showed that “significant inroads have been made, and some, when these inroads are made, when these victories are scored by the Guyana Police Force they tend to scoff at it, they tend to rubbish it, they don’t treat it with the importance of which it ought to be treated. They don’t front page it, they don’t give it the type of profile that it should be given. But when the force is under attack or when the force suffers a defeat they make headlines out of that as though it is something to be happy about.”
‘Slaughtered like animals’
According to Greene while over 50 police officers have been killed since 1839 the ones fresh in the minds of all would be the February killing of police officers, Zaheer Zakir, Shane Fredricks and Ron Osborne who along with civilians were killed by a group of heavily armed men at Bartica. The three officers were killed while manning the Bartica Police Station and it was at this point that the commissioner also made mention of the two other massacres.
He said February 17 is still fresh on the minds of many as some policemen and many Guyanese were watching the Stanford 20/20 match between Guyana and Jamaica. He said some of the ranks at Bartica were gathered upstairs while others were downstairs when the criminals struck.
“It [the crime] was ideal, ideally planned… And without warning cruel criminal elements entered the station and destroyed several of the police ranks who were there. I am sure those nine who were not injured, they can remember vividly what occurred and they are crying out for justice. I am sure the other two who were injured but not killed can also remember vividly what occurred and are crying out for justice.”
He said several of the ranks at the station ran and those who were upstairs were alerted by the shots. “They hid and in two cases they were dragged out like animals from behind the cupboards (where) they hid and shot and slaughtered right on the spot. Fortunately, some of them were not detected, fortunately some of them escaped. One man was shot as he jumped the fence, fortunately some of them lived to tell us the tale today…” He noted that Zakir and Fredricks left wives and young children behind.
‘Support us’
“This country has never seen that type of slaughter and the execution and wanton killing of people. Senseless, by those who are demented, sick mind, those who have no regards for human lives. Those are the persons that our ranks are battling almost daily out there, a group of men who feel that law and order must not prevail.” The commissioner said that the group of criminals feel that they could do what they want and take people’s property “and get away with it. That sick group, elements of them are still out there,” Greene said.
He said that steadfast in the minds of members of the force is to interdict and bring to justice the persons behind the heinous crimes. The acting commissioner said that the crime situation is “not ordinary anymore” as they are now facing “heavy fire power… and criminal elements who we suspect smoke and use drugs prior to them executing their act of dementia.” He said all members of the force are crying out for justice.
“And I hope you support us because sometimes in the quest for justice, we may make mistakes but it is not intended that things should go wrong, but sometimes they do, and sometimes we don’t get the sympathy and support. People forget what ranks have gone through, people forgot those who have been killed, shot, injured, the many civilian lives that have been snuffed out… when a policeman makes one mistake. I think sometimes we need to call on you, for your support particularly when you recognised that it was a mistake or an error of judgement that any one of us could have committed. Sometimes you are not that sympathetic when it occurs.”
‘Not giving up’
The acting commissioner pledged to bring to justice those who committed the acts because they have the evidence and will spare no efforts.
“It is an ongoing battle, it is an ongoing fight, but we are not giving up… We know the pressure that the policemen are facing out there, day and night on the go, many of you might not understand…” “But who feels it knows it … they are under pressure and I want to compliment them publicly for standing up and continuing to carry the fight to those criminal elements out there.” He said they cannot drop their guards and cringe as the moment they do that more people die. “It is our lot and we would carry it.” He said the lot of a policeman is to take the oath of office and die defending same.
According to Greene the police have been winning the battle against the criminals “bit by bit” as several of them have died and others are behind bars. “We shall continue to ensure that justice is served.”
