Gun amnesty ends today!!!

Sep 30, 2015 News

Beginning tomorrow, anyone found with illegal guns and ammunition can expect no mercy from the criminal justice system.
Today marks the end of a one-month amnesty for persons to turn in all illegal weapons and ammunition. While the process can be deemed a success, it is still widely believed that there are still a large number of illegal weapons on the streets.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan

So far the police have received close to 100 illegal weapons and almost 2000 rounds of ammunition.
Last week alone saw the surrendering of more than two dozen such weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle.
Most of the weapons were turned in at the police ‘F’ (Interior) Division.
But now that the amnesty is over, no longer will persons be able to use excuses for the possession of illegal weapons.
The amnesty, which has been criticized by a few prominent individuals, is one of the strategies employed by the new administration to curb crime.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo was of the view that there should be no discretion in imposing sentences under the law for persons found in illegal possession of firearms.
Nagamootoo, while lauding the success of the amnesty so far, had urged the country’s Magistracy and Judiciary to take judicial notice of the prevalence of crime involving the use of firearms and deal condignly with offenders.
“As a judicial officer myself I’m of the view that our courts must review granting bail to repeat offenders (who are) arraigned for illegal possession of firearms, or for the use of firearms in the execution of robberies,” the Prime Minister had stated.
At present the maximum penalty that can be imposed by a Magistrate for the illegal possession of a firearm is five years.
Minister Ramjattan had warned that there will be a crackdown to rein in all unlicenced firearms.
He disclosed that there is a big lobby for the law to be amended to stiffen the penalty for illegal gun possession, but he has not yet done anything to initiate such changes.
“The law is pretty tough as it is,” the Public Security Minister stated.
But despite the relative success of the gun amnesty, there are still a few critics – among them is General Secretary of the opposition People’s Progressive Party, Clement Rohee.
He had stated a few weeks ago that the programme will not work in Guyana.
“I still hold my views…It (amnesty) is not going anywhere…. There are more questions than answers,” Rohee had told Kaieteur News.