Jagdeo and the World Bank

Georgetown Chamber says Police
Chief should be axed

-- shocked at slaying of Minister Sawh

Commissioner of Police Winston Felix

U.G, Bachelor’s Degree in the Social Sciences (Public Management)

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) came out with a strongly worded statement yesterday in which it called for the resignation of Police Commissioner Winston Felix, whom the GCCI holds personally responsible for the brutal deaths of Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh and his family members and security guard.

In a press release issued yesterday, GCCI extended its condolences to the wife, children and relatives of Minister Sawh and also the family of security guard Curtis Robertson.

The Minister, his brother Rajpat Sawh, sister Pulmattie Persaud and Robertson were mowed down early Saturday morning in a hail of bullets by a heavily armed gang which had invaded the Minister's home at La Bonne Intention.

The GCCI said it is appalled to have learnt that the Minister's wife called the emergency line 911 several times immediately after the killers had left her home, but the telephone just rang out.

“We view this as totally unacceptable and we hold the Police Commissioner totally and personally responsible for this,” the release said. “Over the past few years the Chamber has consistently engaged the Guyana Police Force in good faith, and has extended our support when it was necessary, as well as expressed our dissatisfaction with the performance at times of the police force. Our citizens continue to be robbed and brutally killed, and the police seem unwilling, unable or incapable of dealing with this spiralling rate of criminal lawlessness and terror.”

The GCCI expressed disappointment in the leadership of President Bharrat Jagdeo at a time like this, and called on the Head of State to ensure the safety of the citizens, as there were already signs that crime had reached alarming proportions.

“The Chamber is disappointed that the President is not demonstrating the kind of strong command and urgency that this situation demands.”

GCCI said, while it is understood that businesses must seek to secure themselves, this is a fundamental function of the State and the police.

“The GCCI now wishes to express our absolute and total lack of trust and confidence in the leader of the police force and therefore calls for the immediate resignation of the Police Commissioner,” the release said.

“We demand that all other measures be immediately put in place to ensure that the police operate as an efficient and effective modern police force.”

GCCI stated that the continuous escalation of criminal activity in Guyana has aroused concerns, nervousness and fear in the business community and the wider population.

GCCI said it is worried that unless the situation is dealt with immediately and effectively more citizens will be killed.

“The absurd murder of innocent citizens by cold-blooded criminals, who operate in an unrestrained manner, is unacceptable and must be brought to an end immediately. The image of our country has been badly damaged, and the confidence in the ability of the police force as a whole to maintain peace and security and to protect our citizens against terror is seriously being undermined. This will only further contribute to the mass migration of our citizens and a loss of much needed investments.”

The GCCI is also urging the government to immediately seek foreign assistance to combat the crime situation.

The organisation pledged to ally its efforts with all other umbrella bodies and the general private sector to ensure that the nation is spared of the “cancerous malady” and move a step forward where private businesses and citizens can find Guyana a safe place to live, do business and invest.

Tuesday April 25, 2006