Dear Editor,
The exchange of views concerning the cry ‘No Justice, No Peace’ by residents of Golden Grove and a similar cry for justice against the injustices meted out to the Mon Repos market vendors by a marauding gang has become immersed in the ‘Monday morning quarter back’ syndrome. My contribution therefore may be viewed in a similar light.
I support the view that what happened could have been avoided.
We know as a people, that such occurrences are not new. We have witnessed or experienced or been victims to similar incidents in the recent and long past.
Regrettably, these occurrences have become an ineradicable blot on our nation.
From a big picture perspective, it is Guyana that loses again and again whenever such occurrences take place. These occurrences reaffirm to the outside world, that Guyana is bedeviled by racial divisions; that the political situation in our country is unstable and our governance profile fractured. On the one hand, we have a government that is trying its level best to allocate resources to benefit all Guyanese, while on the other we have a political opposition that is resorting to any means possible to oppose, expose, and depose the PPP/C administration.
To me, these are the fundamental issues at hand.
In respect to the specific killing of young Quindon Bacchus, the roles of the police rank or ranks; the high command at the Divisional Station District; the protesters; the marauding gang; the victims of the brief reign of terror, violence and looting at Mon Repos, have, cumulatively, brought to the fore once again too many questionable issues, if left unanswered, are bound to surface again.
We talk a lot about intelligence-led policing, I am a firm believer in its theory and practice. But from what has been revealed and made public thus far, I doubt whether from day one, following the deadly shooting incident and the restlessness of the populace at Golden Grove any genuine and dedicated intelligence-led policing was put in place at Golden Grove in particular and the rest of the East Coast in general.
In my view any intelligence-led policing in that community should have been led by the GPF’s Special Branch in collaboration with the CID.
In the circumstances, good listening, observing and asking relevant questions by undercover operatives tasked with conducting surveillance, establishing the reliability of informants, appraisal of a potentially volatile situation and anticipating the consequences of one course of action rather than another are the hallmarks of intelligence-led policing given the peculiar circumstances obtaining at Golden Grove and the rest of the East Coast corridor up to Plaisance.
The acquisition and use of intelligence undercover investigations as a rightful form of investigative procedure is a sine qua non for public safety and security. Subsequent events which showed the unhindered and law enforcement nonchalance at the blocking of the road and bridges proved that this was not done and, if it was done, it did not work.
The lack of intelligence-led policing by GPF operatives in order to ensure public safety and security proved catastrophic as was demonstrated in the rampage at Mon Repos. Lumpen elements who had infiltrated the Golden Grove to Mon Repos march/demonstration wasted no time to pounce upon the populace at Mon Repos to commit opportunity crimes. By the way, the vendors had nothing to do with the killing of Bacchus nor the demonstration that resulted there from.
And all the talk about PPP agents embedded among the protesters to engage in mayhem at Mon Repos should be dismissed as fake news and a big lie.
In my view, familiar danger signals began flashing when the killing of the Bacchus boy was described by some villagers, opposition political operatives and social media commentators as an ‘extrajudicial murder.’ However, wrongfully and rightfully categorized, shouts of extrajudicial killings in our country is like a lighted stick of dynamite thrown into a situation characterized by good order.
The flashes signaling danger intensified with the delay by law enforcement in dealing condignly with the rank or ranks involved in the shooting within the meaning of the Standing Orders of the GPF and the Laws of Guyana. Worse yet was the misleading messaging by a social media outfit that the police rank fingered was walking about freely.
Compounding the situation was the lethargic approach or total lack of an open line or follow-up communication by the high command of the Police Station District with the young man’s relatives; and the fact that it fell to the President and not the Police Complaints Authority who should have been the entity to keep the nation informed about the true state of affairs on the matter and to announce that a report would be issued on Monday, July 4th did not go unnoticed.
There is a general expectation that a recommendation will be made by the PCA for the Police to approach the District Magistrate for a Coroner’s Inquest to be held into the matter and that a timeline given for its conclusion. Whether the historical antecedents in respect to previous extrajudicial deaths caused by police shootings will play an important part in determining the efficacy of a Coroner’s Inquest is a matter for the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, law enforcement and the Magistracy to determine.
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, what Guyana needs is a ‘great reset’ devoid of any conspiracy theory or false notions of its implications and objectives.
Our own ‘great reset’ effort will perhaps be found in the coming constitutional reform process that may provide us with yet another opportunity to look much harder and realistically at our ethnic relations/insecurity and governance challenges and to determine what has failed us and where.
Expectantly, since we do not have a perfect democracy nor constitution and more so, since there have been calls for constitutional reforms following the 2020 election, we must aim to correct our failings in respect to our economic, political, social and cultural institutional arrangements and devise the improvements necessary and consistent with the aims and aspirations of ‘We The People.’
Yours faithfully,
Clement J. Rohee
Former Minister of Home Affairs
