Lusignan shootings may be diversion from investigations into guns issued in 1970s- President Jagdeo
Georgetown , GINA, January 26, 2008
The Lusignan, East Coast Demerara shootings may have been a diversion from the investigations into the recent revelation that over 200 weapons issued to the Ministry of National Development during the 1970s were not returned to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
Two of the three weapons recovered from criminals in Mahaica recently belong to the army and President Bharrat Jagdeo at a subsequent press conference revealed that an investigation would be pursued to determine how many of the lot were not returned.
The Head of State said the government has no intention of halting the investigations.
“Maybe… these acts are designed to take the focus away from that investigation. Well let me assure you that those investigations will continue. These cowardly acts will not divert our attention from the fact that some of the weapons that were issued to the Ministry of National Development in the 70s recently were found with criminals,” President Jagdeo emphasized.
On January 24, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon told media operatives that a significant amount of the weapons issued to that Ministry was not returned to the army.
The President indicated that the State intends to take severe action against persons who are in possession of illegal firearms and are using them to conduct criminal activities as was the case in Lusignan.
“If you have people in a society who are not vested with the authority of the State, …they should not bear arms unless they are permitted to do so and they should not use those arms illegally that they have acquired for any act, criminal or against the State.”
He said if they do so, as clearly as this group (Buxton) has been doing, then, “whatever warfare it takes to get to them the State has to engage, it has to, it does not have a choice.”
Gunmen invaded the East Coast Demerara community around 02:00h this morning killing 11 persons, including five children. Several others were also injured.
