Criminals threaten democracy, says top cop

GEORGETOWN — Criminals are posing a serious threat to democracy in Guyana, according to the country’s police commissioner, Floyd McDonald.

The top cop made his observation while speaking at the funeral service Wednesday of slain detective corporal, Adrian London, who was murdered execution-style last week in what the police regard as a planned hit.

The 31 year-old London, who was a recipient of the “Best Policeman” award, was the sixth cop to have been killed by armed criminals since April 2, starting with Superintendent Leon Fraser of the special anti-crime squad during a hunt for five prisoners who escaped from the Georgetown Prison in February.

One of those prisoners, Andrew Douglas, wanted for murder and other crimes, had been apprehended in Suriname by detective London who has a high rating as a crime sleuth in the Guyana Police Force which is currently celebrating its 163 anniversary.

In paying tribute to the fallen lawman, Commissioner McDonald described London as “one of the best young detectives, having an aggressive and no-nonsense approach to his job, sparing no opportunity to arrest criminals”.

As armed policemen of the Tactical Service Unit kept watch on the funeral procession, Commissioner McDonald called on public spirited citizens to assist the Force to “rid this country of the criminals that threaten democracy, and remove this evil scourge of criminality from our society…”.

Also attending the funeral service was Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj, who said that the killings and brutal attacks on members of the security forces were part of a plan to “demoralise members of the police force”, but stressed they “will not succeed”.

Attorney-at-law Carol Martindale-Howard, in the eulogy, said that London’s respect for the welfare of others, his “thoughtfulness, joviality and indomitable spirit live on”.

TT police, Panday in row over drug, missiles find at MP’s home

PORT-OF-SPAIN — The discovery by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Force of a quantity of cocaine and two missiles in a water tank at the back of the home of opposition member of parliament, Sadiq Baksh, has led former prime minister Basdeo Panday to accuse the cops of “a conspiracy”.

But the police have dismissed any suggestion of being involved in any politically-motivated activity against any of the 18 MPs of Panday’s United National Congress and were yesterday continuing their investigations into the circumstances of the five kilos of cocaine and two missiles in the water tank.

Discovery of the illegal drug, valued at some TT$1.5 million (TT$6=US$1) and the missiles at the San Fernando West home was made by a member of the Baksh family and the police were summoned.

Baksh, a former cabinet minister in the two previous UNC governments, is currently in New York with his wife. And he has made a telephone request for police security at his home because of expressed concern for the safety of his family, including their three children.

Panday told the media that the “discovery” smacked of a “police conspiracy” and his colleague, Ganga Singh, also a former cabinet minister, claimed that it was consistent with a report he said he had received from an anonymous caller at his constituency office on Tuesday about five kilos of cocaine and two missiles that had been “placed in a water tank at Baksh’s home”.

According to a report in yesterday’s Express, lawyers representing the Baksh family spoke of a “plot to arrest MP Baksh”. It also quoted an unnamed police officer as denying a report that a search warrant had been sought to carry out a police raid at Baksh’s home on Monday.

But the UNC leader said that his party had received reports that “illegal substances would be planted at the homes of high-ranking UNC members” including himself and former cabinet colleagues like Ganga Singh, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Carlos John and Gerald Yetming.

Bomb experts from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force were summoned to take control of the two missiles, the shells of which carried the markings 120-MM M-5. They will determine the origin and capability of the explosives.

According to a military source, the missiles appeared to be those used for ship-to-ship combat by local Coast Guard, or in attacks on armoured tanks or in mortars.

Baksh’s San Fernando West constituency that he retained at last December’s election, was one of four marginal seats that ensured an 18-18 tie for the 36-member House of Representatives between the UNC and the governing People’s National Movement.