Report of COI into detention, release of vessel handed over to Govt.

Jun 01, 2017 News

Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday received the Report from the Commissioners of the Commission of Inquiry (COI), which was established by President David Granger on March 31, to inquire into the circumstances

Brigadier (Retired) Bruce Lovell (right) makes a point to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon as they peruse the Commission of Inquiry Report.

surrounding the entry into, the interception, detention and subsequent release of an unnamed private maritime vessel in the sea space of Guyana.
The Commission was asked to report the findings and recommendations to the President, who is the Head of the National Security Committee.
Accepting the Report from Head of the Commission, Brigadier (Retired) Bruce Lovell, Minister Harmon said that the Government takes the issue of national security seriously and, as such, it is committed to examining the contents contained therein.
“I trust that the Report that the Commission has presented will assist us in making some important decisions in the security architecture of this country and that it will assist us in making decisions, particularly as it relates to the fight against narcotics trafficking,” Minister Harmon said.
Brigadier Lovell, in an invited comment, said that inquiries are important particularly in matters of national interest.
“Inquiries do what any good journalist would do and that is to answer the Five W’s and the one H; the Who, the What, the Where, the Why and the When and it also goes a bit further and seeks to recommend what should be done to prevent any further occurrence.
So this inquiry has done just that. In our recommendations we look at a number of systematic issues, doctrine, organisation, training, leadership, personnel, facilities and, of course, policies,” he said.
The other members of the Commission were former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Winston Cosbert and Christine Bailey.
The vessel was discovered in Guyana between February 11 and 14. The inquiry was to investigate the roles played by the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard in the detention and release of the vessel.
A few days later, US and Trinidad law enforcement officials stopped another vessel and seized over 4 tonnes of coke, one of the biggest in two decades.
It was suspected that first vessel had cocaine but was allowed to leave by local officials.