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PPP/C put Guyana at risk by delaying terrorism bill – AG
The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Administration failed Guyana in its non implementation of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force’s (CFATF) recommendation to criminalize terrorism in Guyana, says Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Basil Williams.
The Minister made this claim during an interview yesterday where he also alleged that the PPP/C procrastinated on a required implementation to the extent that there is little time left to get this fixed.
Williams said that the PPP/C government was being cited twice yearly by CFATF in its follow up reports ever since 2011. Now in Opposition, the former Government is now claiming that it was not consulted in the drafting of the Anti-Terrorism and Terrorist Related Activities Bill 2015.
Williams, as he had previously done on the floor of the National Assembly, stressed that the Bill is largely one drafted by PPP’s Clement Rohee, save and expect the part that seeks to implement the recommendation.
The Attorney General said that the Anti-Terrorism and Terrorist related activities Bill has two clauses speaking to recommendation 35 of the CFATF rules.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams
He explained that recommendation 35 requires the reduction of certain articles in three international conventions. Those conventions are the International Convention For The Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, The United Nation Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
“We inherited that situation and there are people in the FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) which Nandlall left, who informed us that we must ensure that the Bill is passed in parliament in time for the face to face meeting with CFATF.”
This Bill was to be passed in the National Assembly since the last sitting. But that was delayed due to the PPP/C opposition’s cries of not being able to properly scrutinize the Bill before it reaches that stage, Williams said.
The Bill is now expected to be passed on the December 30.
Williams indicated that the meeting is in early January.
“The bill is intended to criminalize terrorism; the question is why they (the PPP) never did it,” said Williams.
Williams explained that the Bill makes it illegal for someone to commit a terrorist act, assist in a terrorist act, aid and abet a terrorist or even attempt to commit an act of terrorism.
Further, he said that the Bill criminalizes the recruitment of people to commit a terrorist act, it criminalize the equipping and outfitting of people to commit an act of terrorism as well as the raising of funds and deployment of property to assist persons to commit terrorist acts. The Bill also makes provision for extradition in certain cases.
It criminalizes dealings with biological, chemical, nuclear weapons and radioactive materials.
In the context of the Bill, a terrorist act means an act committed in or outside of Guyana, which is likely to cause loss of human life or serious bodily harm. It is an act that results in damage to property, that a threat to national security or causes disruption of public safety, including disruption in the provision of emergency services or to any computer or electronic system or to the provision of services directly related to banking, communications, financial services, public utilities, transportation or other essential infrastructure.
Terrorism is also classified for this purpose as an act that is intended to compel a government or an international organization to do or refrain from doing any act or intended to intimidate the public or a section of the public for the purpose of a political, ideological or a religious cause, or any act which constitutes an offence within the scope of and as defined in any of three conventions earlier outlined.
The death penalty is attached to any terroristic activity that results in loss of human life.
In cases of serious bodily harm, a fine and imprisonment of not less than15 years but not more than 20 years can be imposed.
“We are doing the right thing; something that the PPP was told to do since 2011.
I do not know why they are now shedding the crocodile tears now, while hiding the facts,” said Williams.
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