Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj asked for the deference citing that some more time was needed to resolve issues surrounding the provisions of the Bill.

Gajraj informed the Speaker of the National Assembly, Harrinarine (Ralph) Ramkarran, that the two sides of the House have been working assiduously to resolve matters of concern in relation to the Bill, and he pleaded for more time in arriving at a resolution.

The Speaker granted the Minister’s request and adjourned the session with a date for resumption to be fixed.

The much-anticipated Kidnapping Bill 2002 was introduced in the National Assembly by the Home Affairs Minister on December 5 last year.

Passage of this Bill is very important in light of the recent spate of kidnappings in Guyana, a relatively new and unwanted phenomenon, which has added a frightening dimension to the spiralling crime wave that has plagued the country over the past year.

In introducing the Bill last December, during the historic sitting of the National Assembly in the Convention Centre of the Ocean View International Hotel, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, Gajraj had noted that the Kidnapping Bill is one which provides for "the punishment of the offences of abduction, wrongful restraint and wrongful confinement, for ransom and other related offences and for matters incidental thereto".

Observers said that both the Government and Parliamentary Opposition should take a close look at the recent debate in Trinidad and Tobago about that country’s proposed kidnapping legislation, to ensure that the Bill is relevant and effective in attaining the outlined objectives. Trinidad, like Guyana, has been experiencing a spate of kidnappings.

Observers also believe that Guyana has the opportunity and moral obligation now to make a critical review of its own proposed legislation. For one thing, the need to widen the categories of kidnapping, beyond that for ransom, and to ensure that realistic punishment is provided for collaborators with kidnappers as well as those making ransom payments without any involvement of the security forces.

In his address to the opening of the annual Police Officers’ Conference last month, Police Commissioner Mr. Floyd McDonald admitted that there had been a dramatic increase in reported kidnappings during the latter part of last year and this year, “something which is definitely a source of concern to everyone”.

“One cannot deny that this type of offence requires skillful handling because of the risks involved (and) we will have to, as a matter of urgency, develop strategies to counter this threat,” McDonald had said.

During his lengthy and comprehensive address at the conference, McDonald had also talked about the unprecedented increase in ‘car-jackings’.

He noted that since the daring escape of the five extremely dangerous and notorious criminals from the Georgetown prisons on February 23 last year, “we have witnessed an unprecedented increase in car-jackings”. During last year, 110 motor vehicles were hijacked, and while over 99 per cent of the vehicles have been recovered, a number of hire car drivers have lost their lives while trying to resist attempts to steal their vehicles.

The Police Commissioner had also indicated that there have been instances where “we were suspicious of the actions of the hire car drivers”. In fact, some may have been acting in collusion with the bandits, he asserted. According to him, some 17 vehicles have been hijacked up to March 31, this year.