Gov’t frustrating efforts to issue work permit to UK ballistics expert - AFC

Gov’t frustrating efforts to issue work permit to UK ballistics expert – AFC

Aug 09, 2012 News

The Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday claimed that the government is frustrating its efforts to get a UK ballistic expert to come to Guyana for investigations into the July 18 deaths of three Lindeners who are believed to have been shot dead by Police during protests over electricity tariff increases.
AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes said that he has spoken with the Police Commissioner and the Crime Chief to expedite the processing of the work permit for the expert, who has been named as Dr David Robinson.
He said that the standard form was filled and the UK expert was asked to provide copies of all pages of his passport. However, Hughes said that they have now been informed that the expert has to travel to Guyana before his application can be processed.
As far as Hughes is concerned, the issuance of the work permit should have been as seamless as possible.
He said that the AFC does not wish to embarrass the expert by having him come to Guyana and wait for his application to be processed and then be informed that he cannot get it.
Hughes stressed that he is reluctant to have the AFC spend its money to have an expert come to Guyana and wait for his work permit which is issued by an agency under the Minister of Home Affairs, who does not enjoy the confidence of the National Assembly.
Further, the AFC is extremely disappointed that the Terms of Reference for the Commission of Inquiry have not yet been finalised, more than a week after the August 2 deadline.
Of greater concern, however, Hughes stated, is what seems to be a complete halt to Police investigations and “curious statements” from the Crime Chief that there could have been phantom shooters located where the Police were.
“We consider that a very dangerous development,” Hughes said yesterday at the weekly press conference of the AFC.
He asserted that the party was concerned that the criminal investigation ought to have been completed by now, given that there were witnesses available and the Police ballistics tests were completed.
Hughes said the AFC was concerned that so far no arrests or interdictions have been made, and the officers who were at the scene at the time continue to serve, as per normal, in the Police Force.
Trinidad-based pathologist, Professor Hubert Daisley, who viewed the autopsies, stated that bronze-tipped rounds were used in the killing of the protestors and that the weapon used seemed to have been a handgun.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement) Seelall Persaud has said that only four shotgun cartridges were unaccounted for from the ammunition that police ranks had at Linden.
This newspaper was also informed that the Crime Scene ranks were never instructed to scour the area for ballistic evidence or to swab the hands of all the ranks who were at the scene of the protest.

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Gov’t frustrating efforts to issue work permit to UK ballistics expert – AFC

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