Yupukari plane discovery… Army, police deny ranks fingered in cover-up

Dec 29, 2016 News

The Colombian-registered plane shortly after it was flown from Region Nine to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri

The police and army have both denied that its ranks have been “fingered” in a cover-up following the discovery of a Colombian aircraft hidden near a Yupukari airstrip, Region Nine back in September.

The incident had sparked an inquiry that was headed by former army chief, Brigadier (Retd.) Edward Collins, who handed over the final report to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, in late November.

Yesterday, the state-owned Guyana Chronicle carried a headline, ‘Yupukari cocaine plane – Army, police officers fingered’ which said that a Deputy Superintendent of Police and a 2nd Lieutenant of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) have been removed from their postings in the area as the GDF-led Board of Inquiry commenced. The report said that “Guyana Chronicle was told that the final report into the investigation concerning the plane cited the GDF officer for abandoning his post when he was asked to stake out the area where the plane was found and also he has been accused of tampering with the scene of the investigation”.

Regarding the police officer, the newspaper said it was told that the final report cited him for physically assaulting civilians at the scene who wanted to report the discovery of the plane to authorities.

However, the report of the Guyana Chronicle immediately sparked a sharp response from both security entities.

According to the army, while it will not comment on the article itself, it finds the headline erroneous.

“The Force therefore takes this opportunity to caution that newspapers exercise due diligence and social responsibility when crafting headlines of this nature. These misleading headlines tend to give the impression of ranks being directly involved in illegal activities.”

The police denied that the Commission’s Report indicated that any of its officers were involved (fingered) in the operations of the illegal aircraft.

“The report did recommend that a Police Officer be disciplined for use of excessive force on a civilian during the course of the inquiry and not for any act prior to the discovery of the aircraft.”

The discovery of the plane had raised immediate questions, with security forces taking an interest.

The report had concluded that residents of Region Nine did not trust security officials in the area and it was recommended that a Village Intelligence Committee, where Toshaos and other village leaders can pass on information on any suspicious activity to a relevant authority.

The COI report, which commenced in early October, was originally slated to be handed over on November 16, but an extension was granted on the instruction of President David Granger, following a request by Brigadier Collins.
According to Collins, the decision to host public meetings in several villages such as Katoka, Kaicumbay, Yupukari and other villages, and involving the Regional Chairman and Regional Executive Officer of Region Nine, proved to be a worthwhile exercise, since it allowed for greater insight into the facts discovered during the probe.
Brigadier Collins noted as well that through that process a number of eyewitnesses stepped forward. Upon further investigations, members of the Guyana Police Force were led to an abandoned camp at Yupukari, believed to be connected to persons who may have knowledge of the aircraft.
“One thing that came out of the inquiry that we did not recognise earlier was the involvement of a woman, and this [revelation] was because of the voluntary evidence presented by the residents.”
The retired Brigadier added that the maintenance of public trust would be critical to ensuring that villagers are forthcoming with such information.
According to Minister Harmon, the report will form the basis of a careful analysis of the country’s security architecture and will advise on, as to what forms of security actions the administration will need to take to ensure its territorial integrity is preserved and the security of citizens in hinterland areas is taken care of.
On September 13, 2016, a plane, bearing registration number N767Z, was first brought to the attention of officials by residents of the area.
A Joint Army and Police team, inclusive of Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), was dispatched to the location to conduct investigations launched into the sightings of the aircraft. The COI was appointed on September 28, 2016.
The aircraft was later determined to be registered in Colombia.
The aircraft has since been repaired and flown to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

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