The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) on Tuesday issued a stinging statement, criticising the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and called out authorities for being unable to control the crime situation in the country.
The statement comes in light of the death of its member and miner Deon Stoll, who was fatally shot by bandits as he was about to conduct business at El Dorado Trading at Da Silva Street, Kitty on Monday.
“How many more must be robbed, or be slaughtered before it is accepted that we have a crime issue in Guyana which must be addressed?” the Association asked.
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan was also called out by the GGDMA, which questioned what is being done to ensure the country is safe and to address the “upsurge” in crime.
Deon Stoll, a 44-year-old businessman and miner, was attacked and shot by bandits who were reportedly trailing him in a motorcar. He later succumbed to his injuries.
However, Stoll had succeeded in returning fire at one of the gunmen, whose body was later found at Tucville, Georgetown. Police Headquarters had said the suspected bandit, 18-year-old Olijah Chesney, was a serving member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
This is not the first time a member of the country’s Joint Services has been implicated in criminal activities.
In light of this, the GGDMA mounted pressure on the GPF and the GDF to “weed out the rogue elements from among their ranks since all they do is tarnish the image of the force and the law-abiding officers”.
According to the GGDMA, miners and businesspersons must be able to feel safe, especially when conducting legitimate business around the country. “That is the duty of the Guyana Police Force to protect and serve”.
Given the upsurge in crime – which the authorities deny – the GGDMA, in its statement, asked several questions.
“Where are the Police patrols? What has happened to the hundreds of vehicles and motorcycles the Government of Guyana has given to the Guyana Police Force? Are these vehicles being used for its intended purposes? What are the Guyana Police Force’s plans to address this upsurge in crime?”
The Association said it refuses to sit idly by and allow its miners to “be slaughtered by these rouge elements”.
“We urge all our miners to take full security precaution and call on the Joint Forces to take the necessary actions so that our streets, neighbourhoods, interior and towns can be safe to live and conduct business”.
Meanwhile, the GGDMA has expressed condolences to those who are grieving the loss of Stoll and called for justice to prevail.
“The Association expresses its profound condolences to the family of the late Mr Stroll whose life was snatched away from him by these animals as he sought to conduct business in a transparent manner like any other decent citizen”.
For the past several months, the GPF has ceased issuing crime statistics.
Latest statistics revealed that for the period January to September 2018, there were over 800 robberies committed, including robberies under arms and robberies with aggravated violence.
