HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon has said that the recent arson attempt on the Ministry of Home Affairs office complex in Georgetown coincides with agitation by the main opposition People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R).
At his weekly news conference yesterday, he said Cabinet discussed the arson attempt, particularly in the context of its occurrence during the current period of the PNC/R’s abandonment of the dialogue with the President and Parliament, and its resort to public marches, protests at public institutions as well as protests at private homes of government functionaries.
“The resort to `channa’ (fire) bombs brings back the memory of the agonising days of April 9, 2001 again during PNC/R street protests,” Luncheon recalled.
He added: “There may be claims that the association is merely coincidental but the arsenal of devices seized on April 9, 2001 and later in the height of criminal activities of 2002-2003, certainly suggests otherwise.”
On April 9, 2001 a block of business entities located between Camp and Wellington Streets were razed to the ground, as street protesters and demonstrators wreaked havoc in Georgetown, setting fire to a number of buildings.
These included Bhena’s Store, Kissoon’s Furniture Store, Kirpalani’s, Daswaney’s, R. Sookraj and Sons and the headquarters of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union.
Asked if there was any concrete evidence linking the arson attempt on the Home Affairs Ministry to the protest activities of the PNC/R, Luncheon replied in the negative, explaining further that there has been a “mere coincidence” of the two occurrences.
“And there is no need for definitive evidence to support an association. There is either an association or there isn’t.
“I did not pronounce on cause and effect. I sought to highlight the fact that the association is nothing new…and made specific reference to the history and the most recent examples of that association,” Luncheon offered.
With regards to the investigations into the arson attempt at the Ministry of Home Affairs, he said neither the Administration nor the Office of the President has been informed of any breakthrough or significant development.
Reports are that three men on foot hurled what security spokespersons have confirmed were channa bombs at the Ministry of Home Affairs at about 22:15 hrs last Sunday.
Officials said the bombs damaged the Registry Department and the main boardroom where national security meetings usually take place.
In a statement Monday, the PNC/R expressed grave concern over the reported arson attempt at the ministry and urged a “thorough investigation” into the matter.