PNC/R wants judicial inquiry into narco-trafficking

Apr 02, 2011 News

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The People’s National Congress Reform is calling for a comprehensive, independent, judicial inquiry into all aspects of narcotics-trafficking in Guyana. This call was made by the Party’s Presidential Candidate David Granger.
The Presidential hopeful stated that the discovery in Jamaica of 122.65 kg of cocaine in a container of timber from Guyana on the MV Vega Azurit on March 12, last, was only the most recent in a series of discoveries of shipments of illegal narcotics from this country over the past decade.
He added that the Party feels that without an independent investigation, the criminal cartel behind this crime will remain undetected and unpunished and Guyana will drift further towards becoming a narco-state.
“It is evident that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration is unable and unwilling to counter narcotics-trafficking despite the harm being done to our people”.
This call for an investigation incensed the Home Affairs Ministry. Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said that PNCR presidential candidate, David Granger, should call for investigations into crimes that were committed during his party’s tenure in office and by criminals Rohee linked to the leading opposition party.
“Since, like Shaggy he (Granger) said “it wasn’t me” Mr. Granger should push for a Judicial Inquiry into the shooting to death in 1973  of Jagan Ramsessar and Bholanath Parmanand; the two Ballot Box Martyrs;
“Further, Mr. Granger should press for a Judicial Inquiry into the subversion of the Constitution of Guyana under the PNC when the State and Party became indistinguishable and the paramountcy of the Party prevailed.
“Moreover, Mr. Granger should call for a Judicial Inquiry into the assassination of Walter Rodney in 1979. Mr. Granger should insist on a Judicial Inquiry into the theft of guns and ammunition from the Guyana Defence Force.”
Referring to the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs’ International Narcotics Control Strategy Report which was released recently, Granger said it was reiterated that “Guyana is a trans-shipment point for cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela destined for North America, Europe, and the Caribbean.
“Also in that report it was pointed out that, owing to weak law-enforcement on the country’s land and maritime border and vast hinterland, narco-traffickers were able to conduct operations without significant interference from law-enforcement agencies.
“Over the past decade, the Guyana Police Force Narcotics Branch and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) which has the most institutional knowledge and experience have not been given adequate governmental financial, material and personnel support to conduct effective counter-narcotics operations.
The Home Affairs Minister said that Mr. Granger “who likes to project himself as ‘Mr. Clean’, should call for a Judicial Inquiry into the PNC  connections with the Rondell Rawlins “Fine man” gang that killed men, women and babies at Lusignan and Guyanese citizens at Bartica and Lindo Creek.
Mr. Granger “appears to be sailing” and oblivious to the fact that the Government of Guyana, in its efforts to ensure that Law Enforcement Officers involved in fighting the drug trade are accountable, have polygraphed all CANU and Police Narcotics Branch operatives within one and half years, an accomplishment many countries in the region are yet to achieve, he said.
“Mr. Granger must be aware that both President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton have publicly admitted that they do not do enough to help countries fight the drug trade and that they have to do more.”
“Whatever is provided in support of counter narcotics interventions in Guyana, is provided from Government’s budget, but Mr. Granger has opted to be an apologist for the US Administration by simply and conveniently quoting a section from the US State Department Report that refers to trans-shipment of drugs to the US and other locations.”
Granger noted that when the PPP/C entered office over 18 years ago, it inherited from the outgoing PNC Administration a plan called Guyana’s Strategy for Dealing with the Drug Problem and a working ‘National Drug Law Enforcement Committee’ which was personally chaired by President Desmond Hoyte.
The PNCR presidential candidate however noted that the current administration abandoned both the Strategy and the Committee.
“It then introduced its own National Drug Strategy Master Plan, 1997-2000 but never implemented it fully”.
Hence the result, Granger said, was that during Ronald Gajraj’s tenure of office as Minister of Home Affairs, there was a surge in cocaine trafficking and narco-terrorism during which CANU’s Deputy Head and another agent were executed.
“The Administration then introduced a third plan, the National Drug Strategy Master Plan, 2005-2009…this Plan expired a year and a half ago without achieving its original goals”. Granger further stated that the country now has no functional counternarcotics plan”.
He added that to make matters worse, it appears that the Administration deliberately transferred responsibility for drug interdiction at Port Georgetown from CANU to the Customs and Trade Administration of the Guyana Revenue Authority in March last year.
“It was common knowledge, however, that the CTA had neither the organisational structure nor the financial resources to support its new counternarcotics function”.
“At the practical level, it was known also that CTA inspectors were not given sufficient training to enable them to conduct counternarcotics searches…also at the technical level, a new shipping container scanner which was received only in June 2010 seems, quite mysteriously, to have been disabled or to have become inoperable in less than one year”.
Granger pointed out that the result of transferring responsibility from the trained CANU to the untrained CTA was that no successful narcotics interdictions at the port of Georgetown have been recorded although about 500 containers are shipped from the port every month.
“The PNCR is convinced that the PPP/C Administration is not serious about the war on illegal narcotics, this is one reason why it has not fully implemented its own counternarcotics plans, not reached agreement with the US Administration about the establishment of a United States Drug Enforcement Agency Office in Guyana and has not brought to justice any major narcotics-trafficker”.
It has also been stated by the Party that the enforcement agencies do not have the capability to stanch the importation of cocaine and have never been given the resources to do so. “It is no surprise, therefore, that cocaine continues to pour into the country by aircraft through the dozens of unmonitored hinterland airstrips”. Granger added that once cocaine continues to come into the country, crooks will find a way of getting it out.
“The PNCR is convinced that the country’s two existing counter-narcotic agencies “ Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit and Police Narcotics Branch – have been deliberately starved of the aircraft, boats, all-terrain vehicles and personnel  needed to secure the country’s main international transit points and borders’.
Rohee countered, “To claim that the country “has no functional counter narcotic plan” is to display a lack of understanding that cannot be helped.”
Guyana is actively cooperating with Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela through established cooperation mechanisms to fight cross border drug trafficking activities.
It said the Government of Guyana and the Government of the USA have been actively engaged along with other CARICOM countries in formulating and adopting the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).
“This Initiative in the context of international cooperation has a counter narcotics component that will be actively implemented in Guyana and other CARICOM countries.
“Sixteen of the 36 programmes in the 2005-2009 Drug Strategy Master Plan are works in progress and are currently being implemented at an inter-agency level.
“Preparations have already began as regards formulating a successor 2011-2015 Drug Strategy Master Plan
“The Task Force on Narcotic Drugs and Illicit Weapons is hard at work ensuring effective coordination and action by Law Enforcement in the fight against narco-trafficking.”
The Government of Guyana is committed to continue with its aggressive posture as regards its counter narcotic activities.
“The Judicial Inquiry Mr. Granger has called for makes no sense in light of the proactive approach by the Government of Guyana together with the Law Enforcement Agencies in Guyana.”
However, Granger pointed to the exposure of the PPP involvement with drug lords during the recent Roger Khan and Robert Simels trials in a New York Court and their refusal to hold an inquiry into the execution of hundreds of Guyanese.
“The solution must, therefore, be in the hands of Guyanese who must determine in this election year whether they want a Government of Drug Lord collaborators or a Government of National Unity that is committed to restoring a safe and secure Guyana”.

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