Latest update May 13th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 13, 2009 News
– says torture inquiry reduced to in-house probe
“Jagdeo and his clique should resign! The Jagdeo Regime has again failed to uphold the Constitution,” said People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Member of Parliament, Cheryl Sampson, when the party held its weekly press conference yesterday.
Sampson was at the time attempting to outline what the party perceives as the “continued deception in response to torture allegations.” The Member of Parliament sought to make the point that the obvious message from the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) to the security forces is that torture is approved to be used against anyone except that “14 year old and three ranks of the Guyana Defence Force.”
According to Sampson, President Bharrat Jagdeo’s announcement of an inquiry into the latest incident of torture, of a 14-year-old male suspect, and the PPP/C attempts to divert attention by the masquerade in the Committee of Privileges of the Parliament “will not deceive the people of Guyana”.
Sampson asserted that the well-publicised announcement of an Inquiry was reduced in reality to a quiet, in-house investigation by the very accused agency, the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Sampson disclosed that the later public announcement that police were charged was soon followed by a statement from the Commissioner that they were awaiting the identification of the perpetrators by the victim to continue with the matter.
“The nation cannot be fooled by this latest manoeuvre. Guyanese read the news report that the doctor who examined the victim while in custody reported that the police had the victim hooded during the medical examination. More significantly, the President has shown no resolve to deal with the issue of torture and his actions are reminiscent of his announcement of the Board of Inquiry in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), when the torture of the GDF ranks by that organisation was exposed.”
To date, despite the undertakings the report is still secret, Sampson underscored. She related that the President had also adamantly refused to have that Board of Inquiry investigate the other allegations of torture against the security forces.
Expressing its concern into the torture of the 14-year-old, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) in a statement issued earlier this week called for appropriate disciplinary action to be taken. The statement emphasised that action should be taken against all officers at the highest levels of the Guyana Police Force who participated in or attempted to cover-up, downplay or minimise the brutality of the 14-year-old torture victim.
The GHRA is of the view that the internal inquiry ordered by President Bharrat Jagdeo is a subterfuge: another example of the Government protecting those who torture.
“How can subordinates objectively investigate the actions of the Commissioner of Police in this matter – a legitimate part of the inquiry – much less recommend appropriate disciplinary action should this be found appropriate?” the GHRA stressed in the statement.
It added that from all indications, senior officials knew about the teen’s torture which occurred three days before this newspaper published a photograph of the teen’s horrific injuries. The GHRA is also taking the police doctor to task for what it described as his callous approach to his role as a professional.
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