Was justice served in the Congress Place shooting case?

Dear Editor,

The Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) wishes to express concern over the circumstances which led to the dismissal of the case against Linden Primo, who was recently charged with discharging a firearm and threatening behaviour following the staging of the controversial 18th Biennial Congress of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

The PPP/C has noted too the attempts by the PNCR to cover for Primo, while using its Opposition-media agents to downplay the issue and sweep it under the carpet.

The party is aware that the chief witness in the case and several others did not attend court proceedings to give evidence, because of sheer intimidation and bullyism by key operatives at the PNC’s Headquarters. The PPP/C condemns this type of intimidatory tactics.

The PPP/C is concerned that the women were forced into silence by those who had an interest in ensuring that the truth surrounding what took place at the protest-riddled congress did not come to the fore.

While this is not surprising, the party believes that David Granger, who holds himself out as the paragon of virtue, political rectitude should now also express concern that the charges were dropped against a man whose actions clearly compromised the integrity of the PNCR’s Congress.

Granger ill-affords to be silent on this issue, given the criticisms from his own camp about the manner in which the PNCR’s Congress was conducted. He must also explain why his party, which preaches law and order, failed to cooperate with the Police during the initial stages of the investigation, and why the PNCR did not opt to furnish the Police with other witnesses.

Granger himself cannot deny knowledge of Primo’s actions as it occurred while he was present at Congress Place.

The PPP/C firmly believes that the PNC’s attempt at protecting the accused came off the heels of the party’s association with other criminal elements, including Kevin Fields, Linden “Blackie” London, and others who launched assaults on innocent Guyanese.

What is also interesting is the media’s astounding silence and lack of investigative reporting on this aspect of the PNCR’s congress. Had such developments occurred at the PPP/C’s Congress, it would have been splashed across the media and blown out of proportion.

As a matter of fact, the PPP/C would have no doubt been the subject of ridicule and widespread criticisms from the Opposition media and their interests. While the party is guided by the rationale behind the court’s ruling, it is saddened that justice was not allowed to take its full course and a full trial not held.

Submitted by,

PPP/C, Freedom House