Press association calls for full probe of grenade at KN

The Guyana Press Association (GPA)  today expressed solidarity with Kaieteur News over the finding of a grenade near its proprietor’s vehicle on Saturday and called for a full investigation of the matter.

A statement from the GPA follows:

The Guyana Press Association calls on the Guyana Police Force to execute an in-depth investigation into the presence of a live grenade near a vehicle owned by the publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, on the evening of Saturday June 4, 2016. Regardless of the motive, the act alone has a chilling effect on press freedom.

We take this opportunity to call on the intellectual authors and/or perpetrators to desist from such a dastardly act.

All stakeholders in the international community, opposition, government and civil society must speak out against what seems like a calculated act to intimidate the work of Kaieteur News.

The media in Guyana must be allowed to carry out its crucial work of being society’s watchdog, ensuring transparency and efficacy in state and the private sector, without frightening distractions like these.

The GPA notes the government’s prompt statement condemning the attack and of its full support to the Guyana Police Force in the investigations.

We stand in solidarity with the staff of Kaieteur News and the wider media community in this period.