The chairman and two members of the Disciplined Forces Commission of Inquiry were refused entry to inspect an army base at Lethem last Friday.

A delegation, led by Justice of Appeal Ian Chang and including commissioners David Granger and Anil Nandlall, was turned away at the gate to the base after being told that no orders had been given to allow them entry.

The commission hosted public hearings in Lethem last Thursday and Friday to give residents in the hinterland district of region Nine an opportunity to suggest reforms to the disciplined forces.

A senior officer in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) told Stabroek News that the army Chief-of-Staff must be consulted and give approval before any visit to inspect could be granted. He said if the location commander did not receive any instructions from a superior officer permitting the visitors’ entry they would not be received.

In addition the officer was of the view that the visit fell outside the parameters of the commission, which was set up by the National Assembly to review the organisation and operations of the disciplined forces, including both the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force.

But Secretary to the Commission, Gino Persaud, disagrees and says given the fact that the GDF is in part the subject of the commission’s investigations its actions could be deemed as uncooperative. “Whatever standing orders they have would not supersede the powers of the commission [which was] set up under constitutional provisions and special legislation.”

He says the incident would be recorded and reflected in the commission’s report to the National Assembly.

At Lethem, the commission was told that the biggest concern among the residents was illegal activities along the border with Brazil. Residents brought up cattle rustling and smuggling across the borders, which they blamed on little military presence and the complete absence of police at border locations. They also reported the cultivation of large marijuana plantations and the bartering of the output for cocaine.

The residents were also troubled by there being only two police stations - one in Lethem and another at Aishalton - for the entire district.

The residents petitioned for regular sittings of the Lethem Magistrates’ Court, which is now convened only on a quarterly basis. The commission has also held hearings in New Amsterdam, Anna Regina and in Linden.