DNA equipment arrives in Guyana -gunpowder tests to resume, quicker toxicology results expected

May 29, 2019 News

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by Michael Jordan

Guyana stands poised to start DNA testing soon.
Director of the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) Delon France, revealed that equipment which will allow deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing to be done locally, arrived in Guyana last Friday.
It was supplied by Italian firm Q&T S.p.A at a cost of approximately $107M ($US513,000).
France said that once the equipment is installed, staff will undergo over two weeks of training here. Some overseas training may also be required.
In March, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that there had been some challenges in acquiring the equipment. But he had assured that testing will begin by year-end.
The equipment will have the capacity to conduct tests on eight samples at a time.
DNA samples were first collected here and sent overseas in 1993 for the still-unsolved Monica Reece case.
DNA samples tested overseas also helped to confirm the identity of Babita Sarjou, whose skeletal remains were found behind her husband’s Lot 51, Seaforth Street residence in May, 2016.
Similar samples sent to an overseas lab also helped confirm the identity of secondary school teacher, Nyozi Goodman whose remains were found at Pattensen, Turkeyen, in 2016.
But the prohibitive cost, and the lengthy time they have often had to wait for results, have always presented a challenge to investigators.
France had said in a February 2018 interview that it costs Guyana about $1.75M to have just one DNA sample transported and tested overseas.
“This includes air fare; someone has to take the samples and also bring them back,” France said.
He had estimated that it would cost about US$400,000 to have Guyana’s DNA unit set up. But he predicted that “it would be cheaper in the long run,” for the tests to be done locally.
He had cautioned that laws are still to be enacted that will allow investigators to take DNA samples from suspects.
Saying that the legal requirements “are going to be a hurdle,” the GFSL Director had noted that laws will have to be amended to empower the police to take evidence from suspects, and all persons in prison.
“You (will) sign a form that you gave us consent to take your DNA, and the law will also be in place to back us to allow us to take that DNA sample.”
He had also disclosed that a database will be set up to store DNA information of suspects and felons.
“If I go on a crime scene and I swab and get DNA samples, I don’t know whose DNA is there,” France said.
“Even if I get a profile, I don’t know whose profile it is. What the US does, is if they arrest someone, say a drunk driver, even for 72 hours, the lab would put it (the individual’s DNA information) in their database. Even if that person is not charged, they still have your DNA.”
“The (local) database will also have your photograph, your race, height, and information about where you are living. The law has to make provision for all of this to put into the database.”
Having such a database, may even allow investigators to crack some cold cases. And, as has been the case in the US in particular, DNA evidence could also exonerate individuals who were wrongly convicted.
But success in cracking old cases and exonerating the innocent will also depend on how well police have been collecting and storing their forensic evidence over the years.
From the inception, the GFSL has been training investigators in this area and other forensic-related areas.
“One of the things we did before we open, was that we trained over 350 officers. Last week, we trained about 40 persons.
“Our training is on evidence collection, storage, transport and submission of evidence and we also highlight the right packaging for different types of evidence, and what type of evidence can be collected for investigation.”
QUICKER TOXICOLOGY TESTS
Disclosing other developments, France said that the lab has acquired another gas chromatograph mass spectrometer that will allow staff to conduct speedier tests for poison and other cases.
He had said that the Lab was swamped with toxicology samples.
This had resulted in some court cases being stalled, and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and some Magistrates had written to the Laboratory about the delays.
The Laboratory has also acquired a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which will allow staff to resume tests for the presence of gunpowder residue.
Staff began a one-week training programme yesterday.
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.

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