IDB -funded equipment arrives…Forensic Lab geared to solve several gun-related crimes

Apr 26, 2019 News

The Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) will finally be able to resume gunpowder residue tests in several gunshot cases that have been stalled for several months.
Director of the GFSL Delon France revealed yesterday that equipment to conduct tests for gunpowder-residue evidence arrived recently.
The equipment is a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which was acquired through funding by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
France said that the IDB will also assist the lab in recruiting specialists to install the scanning electron microscope and to train the local staff. He estimates that gunpowder testing will resume by June.
France explained that the overseas expertise will be needed because the scanning electron microscope is far more sophisticated tha

GFSL Director Delon France

n the equipment that the Guyana Police Force and the lab had used in gunpowder analysis.
France had revealed last year that the equipment it acquired from the Guyana Police Force has been inoperable.
This has resulted in a hold being placed on a number of murder investigations and court cases in which firearms were used.
These include the January 2018 shooting death of Korner Kick Manager, Tevin Parris, and the January 14, 2018 deaths of Pomeroon farmers, Ambrose Baharally and Martin Godette.
The 27-year-old Parris was found dead in his bed, in the upper flat of his Lot 66 Garnett Street, Newtown home. He had been shot to the head.
A 9mm pistol, with 14 live rounds was found in his right hand.
But a post mortem indicated that the injury was not self-inflicted.
Investigators detained an individual who was close to some members of the slain man’s family. They also swabbed the suspect and victim for traces of gunpowder residue.
Coconut farmers Ambrose Baharally, 28, of Grant Stelling, Hope Lower Pomeroon, and Martin Godette, 23, of Friendship Canal, Lower Pomeroon were found dead with gunshot wounds to their heads at Baharally’s home on January 14.
A post mortem revealed that Godette was shot from a distance, while Baharally was shot at close range.
One report alleged that the two coconut farmers and a third man were drinking, and smoking marijuana, when Baharally shot Godette.
There are suggestions that Baharally then took his own life.
Baharally’s wife later led detectives to an area where she had allegedly disposed of the murder weapon after discovering the two bodies.
Police recovered a 9mm Beretta pistol with a magazine, one .38 revolver, 16 live cartridges, 21 live .38 rounds, 19 live 9mm rounds, six .32 rounds, two 9mm spent shells and 51.5 grams of cannabis.
The GFSL began conducting tests for the Guyana Police Force on March 1, 2017.
The Director had said that the lab had “boxes upon boxes of evidence” to process, including toxicology tests, and tests on currency, and for blood.
The GFSL has also faced challenges in providing speedy results in poison and other toxicology cases. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and some Magistrates had written to the GFL enquiring about the cause for the delays.
France had stated that the lab has the equipment (a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer) to conduct toxicology tests, and to conduct tests on samples of suspected illicit substances, including cocaine, marijuana, heroin and Ecstasy.
But he explained that the machine can only test 60 samples (toxicology or illicit drugs) at a time, and the laboratory is swamped with samples.
The lab is expected to acquire another Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer to conduct these tests.