The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has no records of the enlistment of Gregory Smith, the main suspect in the 1980 death of historian and political activist Dr. Walter Rodney.
Testifying at a public hearing before the members of the Commission of Inquiry into Rodney’s death yesterday, GDF Lieutenant Colonel Patrick West, who is now responsible for the army’s records, stated that there was no concerted effort by the army to erase any record of Smith’s enlistment.
Attorney Andrew Pilgrim, who is looking after the interest of Rodney’s wife and children, stated that former Chief of Staff, Major General (rtd) Norman McLean, who headed the army in 1980, had indicated to the commission that 4141 William Gregory Smith was a member of the maritime division of the GDF but deserted. He had stated
