No Coast Guard, only police

Dear Editor,

The Guyana Police Force is responding to articles published in the Kaieteur News, Stabroek News and Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday September 12, 2012, in relation to the arrest of three men and the recovery of stolen articles following an operation mounted during investigations by the police into recent reports of piracy in the Pomeroon area.

The articles in each newspaper stated that the GDF Coast Guard was involved in the operation when this was not the case.

The Guyana Police Force is expressing its concern that the media houses apparently chose to disregard pertinent information provided to the media through a press release on the matter, which was issued by the Police Public Relations Department on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, with the result that misleading information was conveyed to the public.

The press release issued by the Police Public Relations Department stated clearly that “acting on information received from residents and fishermen, the police conducted an operation in the Morawhanna and Barima River areas.” It was entirely a police operation.

Yours faithfully,
Ivelaw Whittaker
Public Relations and Press Officer

Editor’s note

The correction was made in our follow-up report of Thursday, September 13.