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2ND MARCH 2006
MEDIA RELEASE
PRIVATE SECTOR COMMISSION HORRIFIED AT ECCLES VIOLENCE
Says Police Response “Totally Unsatisfactory”

The Private Sector Commission is horrified and outraged that a large gang of highly organised and heavily armed criminals, intent on mass murder were left unchallenged at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, last Sunday evening, to blockade the main arterial highway to our capital city from our national airport for a period of over an hour to kill and maim as they pleased and escape with impunity.

To date there has been an inappropriate response by the security forces, the government and the parliamentary opposition to this act of wanton public criminality, which has openly challenged the authority of the State to maintain law and order and to protect its citizens.

The Commission questions why there has been a failure of our security forces to execute a joint operation to immediately respond to what may reasonably be viewed as a criminal insurrection against the security of the state.

The Commission must ask if our government fails to appreciate the gravity of our situation and its implications for national stability when organised crime is allowed to take over our country in this manner while our security forces appear helpless to confront it.

The Commission was further alarmed at the manner of the Commissioner of Police at his Press Conference in his effort to address the nation on the matter. The Commission is appalled that the Commissioner of Police should state at the Press Conference that he is satisfied with the police response. The Police response was totally unsatisfactory

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The Police Commissioner could not explain why the police were unable to respond at the scene of the crime until over an hour had passed after the killing spree began, even though, the police were notified of the presence of the criminals by the MMC and other callers within some fifteen (15) minutes of the blockade and the attack being mounted.

The Commission has requested an urgent meeting with the Commissioner of Police who has informed us that he is unable to meet until next week. The Commission wishes to remind the Commissioner of Police that when he took office he said “hold me accountable”.

The Commission is equally horrified at the theft from the Guyana Defence Force of a sufficient number of high powered automatic weapons to fully arm more than a platoon of soldiers. The Commission can only remark in dismay that these are the same types of weapons which are in almost everyday use by the criminals who threaten the safety of every one of our citizens and the very stability of our country. The Commission believes that the Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force must also be held accountable.

The Commission asks if our government seriously expects investors to be attracted to Guyana, a tourist industry to be developed and World Cup Cricket to come to our shores, while this rampant criminality is allowed free reign.

The Commission calls upon the Commander in Chief of our armed forces to hold accountable those directly and ultimately in charge at the highest level of our security forces and those who are responsible for the safe keeping of our country.

The Commission wishes to offer its condolences to the families of our citizens who have been so brutally murdered and to our citizens who were injured and threatened and to the numerous numbers of our citizens who have been traumatised by these events and remain, understandably, frightened for their safety and the well being of their country.