Two years after commissioning…Govt. moves to use $1B Forensic Lab

Feb 12, 2017 News

Cabinet has approved the sum of US$32,524 for the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory to be completed and operationalised within the next two months.

The billion-dollar Forensic Science Lab at Turkeyen.

According to Minister of State Joseph Harmon, on Friday, at the post-Cabinet press briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan has secured approval to honour outstanding payments for security specialists at the laboratory.
He explained that Barbadian firm, IDE Security, was responsible for installing the security system at the laboratory by way of a contract in 2012 and providing consultation oversight in 2013 during Phase One of the project.
Harmon said that the security firm is now required to take certain steps to operationalise the laboratory and “in this regard cabinet (has) approved a payment in the sum of US$32,524 which was owed to the company and that will now facilitate the firm coming and completing the laboratory, completing the training for persons who will operate the laboratory so that it can be a functioning laboratory.”
The minister said that the technical and electrical issues that were discovered a while back will also be rectified as soon as the contractors return to work.
He said that there are several things that the laboratory has to be able to do. These include DNA testing and the analysis of evidence from a crime scene, among others.
Questioned on whether any form of testing is being carried out at the laboratory currently, Harmon said that he is not aware if testing of any sort is being done.
He explained that based on the information that Minister Ramjattan presented to Cabinet recently, for the laboratory to become fully operational and functional, the owed money needed to be paid to the security firm, so that they can complete the work.
The Forensic Laboratory once completed, is expected to significantly boost the capability of the Guyana Police Force to solve crimes.
The Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara-located facility was commissioned, under the previous government since July 2014, but remained a white elephant as it faced several issues, including electrical defects.
It was commissioned under the Ministry of Home Affairs that was headed at that time by former minister, Clement Rohee.

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