UNFAIR, UNJUST CAMPAIGN
IT IS A pity that even those familiar with the law, procedures and practices governing the issuing of firearm licences should allow themselves to become mere pawns for propaganda of the opposition PNC/R.

Even more deplorable is that they should be seen as an extension of an evident campaign not only to go after the Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj, a politician, but to unjustly attack the reputation of the long-serving public officer who recently retired as acting Police Commissioner, Mr. Floyd McDonald.

Obviously encouraged by the sudden revocation of McDonald's United States visa, which followed a similar action by the US authorities - without any explanation whatsoever - sections of the local media have been regularly repeating allegations of the PNC/R and unnamed "sources".

They also propagate as "facts" the allegations originally made by a man with known criminal records who continues to refuse, from wherever he has chosen to seek cover, to come forward with evidence to the Police or the Office of the DPP in support of his death squad claims and ministerial links.

Last week, the smear campaign against Minister Gajraj and Mr. McDonald was to suggest some sinister arrangement to issue a firearm licence to the slain bandit, Gopaul 'Gewan' Chowtie, killed in a reported confrontation with lawmen at Success village on Sunday night, April 4.

Formerly a leading member of the governing PPP, it is known, as confirmed by the General Secretary of the party, Donald Ramotar that this relationship ended back in 1989 when that party was still in opposition and the PNC in power.

There should be NO defence of criminals, or to make heroes of them, with draped coffins or else, when they fall victims to the law enforcing agencies as fugitives from justice.

Making Politics   
But those now making politics of the firearm licence issued to Chowtie, with the approval of the Minister of Home Affairs and, as recommended by the then acting Police Commissioner, would know that standard practice, in conformity with the law, was followed.

It is known that when an application is made for a firearm licence, the police in the area where the applicant resides carries out an investigation and submits a report to the Police Commissioner.

He could refuse to forward it to the Minister of Home Affairs - who has ultimate responsibility under the Firearms Act - for approval, or to communicate his reservations, if any, when onpassing it for ministerial approval or rejection.

This has been the practice from the 1960s under successive governments of the PNC when there were numerous allegations of political considerations in ministerial approval of gun licences and of armed activists of that party terrorising innocent people.

How the system of approval of firearms licences works is part of the preliminary report of the Disciplined Forces Commission recently tabled in Parliament. There is no mystery about this.

It is, however, more than invidious that Mr. McDonald should also now be dragged into the PNC-instigated smear campaign, to suggest that in acting in accordance with the law to recommend Chowtie for a firearm licence and subsequently signed it, along with the approving Minister of Home Affairs, that the retired acting Police Commissioner may have done something inappropriate.   

McDonald, who has expressed his own shock at the sudden revocation of his US visa, maintains he had no knowledge whatsoever of a death squad operating with the support of the Police Force to go after known armed criminals who were killing, robbing and terrorising people in various parts of Guyana.

It is more than ironical that the PNC/R should now be calling on the police to "remain vigilant" and avoid "dissension within their ranks".

Sunday, April 11, 2003