Government signs $450M contract for forensic laboratory

Apr 09, 2011 News

From left, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, IDB representative Marco Nicola, UG Pro-Chancellor Dr. Prem Misir and other guests

Government yesterday signed a $450M contract with Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited for the construction of a forensic laboratory at the University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is funding the project in partnership with the government.
IDB representative, Marco Nicola, was among those present at the signing, which was done at the Home Affairs Ministry.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee remarked that because of the involvement of UG personnel, the public’s confidence in the forensic results would be well enhanced.
“I’m very proud to be associated with this signing ceremony. It’s a flagship project for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He noted that in Guyana and the rest of the world, “the complex nature of crime has to be responded to both with old, tested methods and with new cutting edge methods.”
Rohee said that the criminals of today use modern methods…and old and tested ones, and law enforcement personnel have to respond appropriately.”
Stressing that citizens must have confidence in what is done at the laboratory, the Home Affairs Minister said that the decision to locate the new facility at UG “took into consideration the results coming out of the laboratory.”
And Police Commissioner Henry Greene described the venture as “a dream come true.”
He noted that the Guyana Police Force inherited a forensic laboratory in 1987. With the help of University graduates, the Force has managed to upgrade the lab facilities in areas of drug processing, blood spatter analysis and fingerprinting.
But the Force still has to depend on its overseas counterparts for DNA and other aspects of forensic testing.
And UG Pro-Chancellor Dr. Prem Misir expressed the view that the establishment of the laboratory would play a great role in significantly reducing crime.
He also noted that the location of the facility will benefit the university. “It (forensic science) is a multi-disciplinary field. It is not just about chemistry or physics; it includes biology, toxicology…the behavioral sciences…”
Before signing the contract along with Citizen Security Programme (CSP) Coordinator Khemraj Rai, contractor Courtney Benn promised to ensure that construction is completed within the 12-month time frame.
“Our task is to make sure that the citizens of Guyana have a well constructed laboratory within the timeframe.”