Dear Editor,
This poor, helpless, defenceless woman, Salimoon Rahaman, whose reputed husband and an employee were found dead on their boat with marks of violence on their bodies, and whose 10-year-old- son is missing, is seeking information and perhaps closure on the horrible tragedy that has befallen her family. The whole country is ringing with suspicion that coast guard officers might have been involved in the incident. This grieving woman says her reputed husband’s boat had green paint on it, raising the possibility that the green-painted coast guard vessel had rammed the boat.
Now that’s a piece of evidence crying out for verification. She travels to the capital city from her Hog Island home hoping to meet with government officials to demand an investigation. And what is her experience? Her attempts to meet the Commissioner of Police were unsuccessful. Commodore Best, head of the army says the allegations in relation to the incident are mere speculation. The Minister of Home Affairs with the portfolio responsibility for the police and the army has not visited the scene of the crime and has not offered any information to the media.
Such callous behaviour on the part of government officials is unprecedented anywhere in the world. In New York City the Mayor and the Police Commissioner would have visited the scene of the crime and we would see pictures of them examining the boat in the papers and on TV. They would be offering condolences and assurances; they would have sent all the vessels at the disposal of the city to look for the missing 10-year old.
What do we get from Jagdeo’s people? Stone-walling and more stonewalling. The callous behaviour of this government makes you want to scream. Today is the 15th day since the crime took place near Hog Island, and to the best of anyone’s knowledge still no team of crack sleuths from CID has gone to examine the boat to confirm whether there had been a collision with the green-painted coast guard vessel. One wonders what kind of crime there has to be before the Minister of Home Affairs and his aides would leave their plush, air-conditioned offices and go to the scene of a crime not just to investigate, but also to offer comfort to the victims and assurances of a thorough investigation and if necessary promises that justice will be done.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Persaud
