GDF Major still on leave
Stabroek News
January 11, 2003
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer implicated following the arrest of three men at Good Hope and the discovery of arms and sophisticated equipment is still on special leave pending the outcome of investigations, army sources reported.
Stabroek News understands that the officer, a Major, was sent on special leave to facilitate investigations, but this is without prejudice to his allowances and salary. He had reportedly tried to secure the release of the three men after a GDF patrol intercepted them at Good Hope Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara.
This was over a month ago but up to this week, the police said investigations were still ongoing. This is contrary to earlier reports which stated that the police had completed investigations and that they were to seek the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions to institute charges.
On Tuesday, a senior police source told Stabroek News that the investigations were not yet complete. Over the past month, there have been some concerns that the authorities have been slow to prosecute those arrested. They are policeman Sean Belfield and civilians Shaheed Khan, Haroon Gahya, Christopher Small and Rajesh Sahadeo.
Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj, as well as the police, had said that the delay was to ensure that the statements and evidence to be presented could support the charges laid against the men. One aspect of that process, they said, was ensuring that the statements given by members of the army patrol who detained the men and then turned them over to the police were in a form suitable for presentation in court.
The army had reported completing those statements and handing them over to the police several weeks ago.
Some of the items found in the bullet-proof pick-up vehicle were a laptop computer programmed to trace cellular phone users, a town plan of Georgetown and a quantity of high-powered assault rifles and submachine guns. Stabroek News understands that the serial numbers had been effaced from several of the weapons, especially the American-type ones.
All five of the men were subsequently released on $500,000 bail each after habeas corpus proceedings before a High Court judge. Ever since then, there has been a public outcry over the delay by the police in charging the men.
