Guyana Observer News

Volcano In Guyana Moving Closer To Eruption

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

BY Ariston Lyte
In the words of the old Guyanese saying "mouth open, story jump out." Mouths are opening in a District Court in New York and matters involving the Guyana Government's relationship with convicted Guyanese Drug Lord, Roger Khan are no w jumping out...
For many years, Guyanese have known of the relationship but for the first time, sworn testimony of witnesses and evidentiary documents are now in the public domain.
In statements, Roger Khan, who absconded to Guyana while on bail on drug charges in the U.S, acknowledged the relationship. Within a brief period of his returning to Guyana, Khan became a multi-millionaire. He owned a prestigious property in up-class Bel Air, in addition to properties elsewhere. He suddenly owned several businesses, including two in the interior which may have facilitated the flow of drugs from Colombia across Guyana's porous and unpatrolled southern borders with Venezuela and Brazil.
Guyana became a transit point for cocaine exports to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean. The drug trade and money laundering from the trade flourished in Guyana. Palaces were being built throughout the country by persons whose incomes were questionable. The Government apparently turned a blind eye. Drug "mules" are arrested regularly at CJ International airport and elsewhere with cocaine in their possession. Yet no supplier has been arrested, charged or convicted although hundreds of "mules" local and overseas have been convicted, charged and sentenced. Who did the "mules" obtain the cocaine from? Why didn't the Police find out by offering plea bargains for the information? During Khan's residence in Guyana, crimes of violence spiralled and Leslie Ramsammy

the PPP Governm ent came under strong criticism. Suddenly, criminals were being wantonly murdered and so also were individuals who opposed the Government. Khan admitted that, at the behest of the PPP Government, he created a "Phantom Force" of former Army and Police personnel which carried out a reign of murder as a way of eliminating criminals in the society and persons who opposed the Government. Former PPP Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj was in close contact with Khan. When the relationship was publicised a Commission of Inquiry conducted hearings under a limited and barren term of reference. In the end, Gajraj was sent as High Commissioner to India. The drug trade and officially-sanctioned murder continued to thrive. During a traffic search on the East Coast Highway, Khan was found with a sophisticated electronic spy equipment which had the capability of intercepting phone calls. The equipment was seized by the Police and then it disappeared. According to evidence in the New York Court, the equipment was
back in Khan's possession. The equipment, of British manufacture but sold to Khan at an electronic store in Florida, dominated the news. It was then revealed that the equipment could only be bought by a Government. The Government denied it knew anything about the purchase of the equipment and had no hand in its purchase. In testimony in the New York Court this week, it was revealed that the equipment was purchased by the Guyana Government, the authority being signed by Minister of Health Ramsammy. K han collected it. Later Khan and others were trained in Georgetown its use by an overseas expert, with the knowledge of Ramsammy. President Jagdeo has also been implicated in the Khan saga at the New York trial of former Khan's attorney Simmel who has been charged in a conspiracy to eliminate witnesses against Khan. In his defence, he is revealing a lot. When Khan comes up for
sentencing in September, he will have to allocute as part of his plea bargain, and then he will spill more beans.
Roger Khan

And all of this is taking place at a time when the Ministry of Health was suddenly deliberately destroyed by fire. All documents, letters, files, statements of account were completely destroyed. Ramsammy is Minister of Health. Records relating to the purchase of the equipment and training in its use, would have been destroyed in the fire. The Government attributed the fire to scholars, professionals, a political party and hirelings and began a series of arrests, detentions and torture of a few arrested. Confessions, which led to Government's attribution were allegedly beaten from the suspects and not legal. A former Chief Magistrate, Dawn Holder-Allen, Leader of the NDP, an opposition political Party, was arrested and released on bail. Her supporters picketed outside the Brickdam
Police Station. Concomitantly, three outspoken civic and labour leaders, Benschop, Witter and Lewis carried out protests exercises outside the Office of the President and the Police Commissioner. They were arrest ed and put on bail. They are back protesting again. Holder-Allen and PNCR candidate Richard Van-West Charles joined in the protest.
On July 30, PNCR Leader Robert Corbin wrote a detailed letter requesting that the Government involvement with the Phantom Squad, officially sanctioned murders, association with Roger Khan and the purchase of the spy equipment, should be debated as a matter of national emergency in the National Assembly. The PPP Speaker Ramkarran, threw out the motion. The PNCR and the GAP walked out of the Assembly. The AFC had already boycotted it. For the National Assembly Meeting and for Emancipation Day, August 1, (the anniversary of day African slavery in Guyana ended) President Jagdeo was conspicuously absent in Jamaica and did not officiate or participate in any of the national events to observe and celebrate the National Day. It was unlike Indian Arrival Day when he was prominent at many events in the country. During his Presidency, Jagdeo has spent more time outside of Guyana than in the country dealing with its problems. The protest against the PPP Government has now expanded. And is escalating. The conjuncture of all the actions and the anger and bitterness in the country against incompetent governance, corruption, racism, burgeoning crime, unemployment, economic decay, social devastation, suppression of human rights and high levels of poverty have been conglomerating like lava in a volcano.
The PNCR=2 0launched its first in a series of marches and demonstrations on Monday, August 3. It demonstrated in front of the Public Buildings on Tuesday. Protests and demonstrations will continue all over the country. Oppositon political parties are to meet this week to agree to a plan of action calling for an International Commission of Inquiry. All the opposition political parties in Parliament have now decided to boycott Parliament. The militant political actions are in support of calls for the International Police Organization, INTERPOL, to be asked to conduct an investigation in the Government's role in the Phantom Death Squad and Extra-Judicial Killings and it's association with convicted Drug Lord, Roger Khan and the illegal Drug Trade. Khan's American lawyer Simmel gave testimony in the U.S. District Court on Tuesday and Wednesday. He confirmed Minister Ramsammy authorised the purchase of the Spy Equipment and that he met on several occasions with other Goverment officials. He also named the Drug Suppliers he met in Guyana at the behest of Drug Lord Roger Khan. He confirmed that the Government of Guyana was associated with Roger Khan in the murder of the Buxton Gang and others who opposed the Government. According to a Letter by PNCR Leader Corbin to the Speaker of Parliament, over 200 African Guyanese were murdered in the exercise. The AFC has publicly called on the Jagdeo PPP Government to resign, which would lead to new elections being held in the country. Guyanese na tional, Wesley Kirton, and a group of other Guyanese have written U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder requestion U.S. action to confirm the Government of Guyana and Minister Ramsammy's role in the purchase of the Spy Equipment.
In the meantime, it there are now active efforts to unite all opposition political Parties and civic groups to take concerted action to bring down the Jagdeo PPP Government.
The volcano in Guyana is moving closer to eruption.

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