Guyana to seek US forensic assistance in solving murders

Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo says he has asked for forensic assistance from the United States to help determine how and who killed eight miners whose charred remains were found at Lindo Creek.

The president’s comments came amid speculation that the massacre of the eight miners was an act of the Joint Services forces currently combing that area for the notorious Rondel Rawlins gang.

But Jagdeo at a press conference on Wednesday urged people to desist from such speculation as the investigations are underway and disclosed that the government has already requested forensic assistance from the US.

Jagdeo also condemned the slaughter and said it was a brutal killing. He stated firmly that his administration intends to investigate the matter fully.

The president said he hopes the country will at this point in time express its outrage at what happened and also be fully supportive of the families.

"We have already asked for some forensic help, forensic pathology help from the United States of America and all of the findings will be made public," the president promised.

The president related that Alliance for Change Leader Raphael Trotman has already written to him about the issue, requesting that a Commission of Inquiry be established. But he said he has not yet decided whether a Commission of Inquiry should be establish and noted that, if established, will not be only for the Lindo creek killing but all other unsolved murders to determine the circumstances that led to these and who may be involved.

"But at this point in time I have not decided whether a Commission of Inquiry will be the best vehicle for investigation of this matter, I think it’s critical that we get external expertise and that is what we are trying to secure at this point," the president said.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force stated that ballistics tests conducted on the four spent shells found at the crime scene at Lindo Creek matched shells found at the Lusignan and Bartica incidents, the robbery/murder at Triumph, East Coast Demerara, where two men were killed and a robbery/murder at Canal No.2 Polder, West Bank Demerara, during which a woman was killed.

A police press release stated that the tests also revealed that one of the spent shells matched one of the rifles recovered from the two gang members who were shot and killed during an armed confrontation with the Joint Services at Goat Farm, Berbice River last week.

"The statement that there is no link to the gang members’ firearms is absolutely false and misleading and can only be construed as an attempt to discredit and sully the image of the security forces," the statement added.

And it cautioned that all agencies and stakeholders, including the media, to refrain from making irresponsible and wild statements that are unsubstantiated and unconfirmed and to act in a responsible manner.

The investigations into the murders at Lindo Creek are being supervised by the Office of Professional Responsibility.

Leonard Arokium, a diamond miner operating in the Berbice River area close to Christmas Falls, claimed that he travelled to his mining camp two Saturday ago after receiving a telephone call informing him that his employees were all killed and their bodies burned.