Dear Editor,
Clement Rohee’s letter of April 30, 2009, in which he sought to castigate me for presenting a “blatant misrepresentation of the truth” provided much entertainment, but on more sober reflection, is cause for deep worry.
Minister Rohee has sought to showcase 12 cases of the “successful” arrest of persons for various crimes for the period November, 2008 to April, 2009 leaving me to shout out “What about all the others?” If Mr Rohee is proud of this record of 12 as against the hundreds of unsolved robberies, murders, rapes, and assaults for the first quarter of 2008 in the Police’s ‘A’ Division alone, then we are in serious trouble, and I question his ability to remain in office. Additionally, Mr Rohee seems convinced that he will obtain convictions of the persons arrested and that the cases are open and shut.
I maintain my statement that the audacity of those who committed the atrocity against Maria van Beek tells a story of a brazen person (or persons) who feel that they can operate with impunity because the likelihood of their apprehension is slim to impossible. I don’t need a lecture from Mr Rohee to be able to discern the facts for myself. I believe that I am adequately qualified to be able to do so. There are gaps in the security architecture that need to be filled. Mr Rohee’s statements provide little comfort to the Van Beek and Jagan families, or to Magistrate Hawke who suffered a recent home invasion.
As if to reinforce my point, the Guyana Chronicle of Thursday, April 30, 2009, has a plea by the Van Beek family for persons with information about the shooting to come forward and share it with the police. Can Mr Rohee say whether this private plea for help from the public is a declaration of confidence in the security forces’ ability to capture the perpetrators, or whether it is a declaration of no confidence, hence the resort to self-help methods? How Mr Rohee answers this question will determine his fitness to carry on functioning in his position as Minister of Home Affairs.
At no time in my comments did I single out Minister Rohee for condemnation, but by his own actions he has done so for himself. In true Shakespearean form he has been hoisted by his own petard. I am surprised that he jumped to attack me without taking a more objective read of my comments. In fact, I and the AFC are on record as having said that the Commissioner of Police, his officers and ranks have to be commended for maintaining the peace with the minimum of support and resources on behalf of an inept government. I have no difficulty in giving praise when it is due. I have privately and publicly done this in the past to both the Commissioner of Police and to Mr Rohee himself.
It is interesting that the list presented by Mr Rohee did not take us back to Monica Reece and the thousands of persons who were murdered, robbed and violated in some way or the other since – without anyone being apprehended, prosecuted, and sentenced. I suggest that he reads any of the daily newspapers for countless instances where ordinary men and women are still waiting for justice.
Yours faithfully,
Raphael Trotman
