Former WPA activist denies party was collecting arms and ammunition - Ogunseye

Former WPA activist denies party was collecting arms and ammunition – Ogunseye

Jun 26, 2014 News

Working People’s Alliance member, Tacuma Ogunseye, said yesterday that after 34 years he is more than convinced that former President Forbes Burnham and the security forces masterminded a plan to kill Walter Rodney.
Further Ogunseye said that the “plan” was carried out by former army officer Gregory Smith.
Ogunseye was called to the witness box yesterday as the Rodney commission continued. In his estimation he said that arresting members of the WPA was “political tool”. “I slept in every lock up in Georgetown,” Ogunseye said.
During questioning Ogunseye denied that the WPA was acquiring arms and ammunition even though several other witnesses had said that the party was involved in such an exercise.
Ogunseye is also claiming that that extra judicial killings were very rampant under the rule of the People’s National Congress (PNC) government.
However, according to the witness, extra judicial killings worsened when the current People’s Progressive Party (PPP) regime took office.
He said that the WPA developed a political defence which was to win the army over and make them an ally of the revolution.
He did point out that among the Party’s objective was to overthrow the government outside of the electoral process and admitted that some leaders were given automatic pistols.
The WPA Executive denied knowing of any plan to blow up the Georgetown Prisons, as was alleged, or that Rodney had any such plans.
He said the WPA was not violent in any way in its revolution movement. He added that the Party never killed any member of the Police Force or PNC supporters.
Dr. Walter Rodney, a Guyanese political activist and intellectual, died on June 13, 1980, when a ‘walkie talkie’ exploded in his car. He is believed to have been murdered. He had written several books prior to his untimely demise.
The COI, among other things, will inquire into who or what was responsible for the explosion that led to Rodney’s death, whether it was an accident or an act of terrorism and the role of some persons and agencies, if any, in his death.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the ommission, Sir Richard Cheltenham, disclosed yesterday that the life of the Commission has been extended.
Sir Richard was responding to a query from Basil Williams about whether the life of the Commission had expired and if it would be granted an extension.
The Chairman explained that he has received correspondence from President Donald Ramotar instructing that the life of the Inquiry be extended to September 2014. The earlier expiry date was fixed at four months after the April commencement.
According to the Chairman, he had written to the President and in his response he had promised that it will be gazetted. “I think your question is quite proper. Whether it has been gazetted or not I don’t know,” he added.
The purpose of the commission is to receive testimony and evidence from interested parties to enable it to examine the facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of, and subsequent to, the death of Dr. Walter Rodney in order to determine, as far as possible, who or what was responsible for the explosion resulting in the death of Rodney.
The commission would also “inquire into the cause of the explosion in which Dr Walter Rodney died, whether it was an act of terrorism, and if so, who were the perpetrators as well as “examine the role, if any, which the late Gregory Smith, Sergeant of the Guyana Defence Force, played in the death of Dr. Walter Rodney and if so, to inquire into who may have counselled, procured, aided and or abetted him to do so, including facilitating his departure from Guyana after Dr Walter Rodney’s death”.
The Commission will also examine and report on the actions and activities of the State, such as, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana National Service, the Guyana People’s Militia and those who were in command of these agencies, to determine whether they were tasked with the surveillance of and the carrying out of actions, and whether they did execute those tasks and carry out those actions against the political opposition for the period 1st January 1978 to 31st December 1980.
It will also examine, review and report on earlier investigations and inquiries done on and into the death of Dr Rodney.

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Former WPA activist denies party was collecting arms and ammunition – Ogunseye

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