Those police killings and the attack on the Mohameds

Recent events in Guyana have forced me to seek answers to some troubling questions. The most recent is the shooting to death of a young man in Linden. In fact, two have been killed. One was a protester when he was shot and killed.

According to a police statement the young man identified as Ronaldo Peters age 26 years, was wanted for questioning in relation to a report of an alleged rape of child under 16 yrs. It turned out that Peters was 21.

This alleged rape occurred some time between 1st December 2024 and 31st January 2025. The police statement continued that when the ranks reported to the scene they saw Peters who attempted to flee. He attempted to scale a fence.

A police sergeant said that he grabbed Peters and took him off the fence. He was in plainclothes and had arrived in an unmarked vehicle. In the process, the pistol in the sergeant’s hand went off and struck Peters in the abdomen. Without a doubt the sergeant‘s finger was on the trigger. Further, the safety on the weapon was off.

Certainly the sergeant was not trained in the use of a firearm. Unquestionably, he was the fastest among the ranks who went to apprehend Peters because he was the first to reach Peters.

The report did not say whether the sergeant was left or right handed. Whatever the case, the sergeant had to use the gun hand to subdue Peters. The bottom line is that in so doing he pulled the trigger.

Soon after the police report, people reported that there was video footage that contradicted the police account. This may have started the ensuing protest during which some residents were shot. Fires were lit in the streets, and missiles were hurled at the police. There were some arrests. A protester was killed.

The political opposition condemned the shooting.

Still fresh in the memory of the people of Linden was the killing of three people, one of whom was said to be of unsound mind. This too was during a protest, this time over electricity rates.

The current Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken, was in charge of the ranks on the ground. It is said that he gave the order to use lethal force.

This time around, the sergeant is under close arrest. Not much is expected to come out of the investigation. The policeman who shot Quindon Bacchus in 2022 is still to be prosecuted. He was committed to stand trial for murder.

Orin Boston was shot and killed in his bed while he lay next to his wife. The rank is to face a judge and jury. As in the case of Quindon Bacchus this matter is still to be heard.

Bacchus’s family was awarded a $24 million judgement that prompted Attorney General Anil Nandlall to file an appeal. President Irfaan Ali finally ordered that the appeal be withdrawn.

There was the police killing of Yohance Douglas, a young man returning home in a car from playing basketball in 2003. Two ranks were charged with murder. The murder charge was reduced to manslaughter. One was sentenced to six years in jail. He served four and was released. He was promptly readmitted into the Guyana Police Force.

Why are there so many fatal police shootings in Black communities? By noon there was the report that one of the protesters was shot and killed.

The other issue that begs a question involves the Mohameds. The United States applied sanctions to the Mohameds. The contention was that the Mohameds had defrauded the Guyana economy of millions of dollars.

They allegedly smuggled gold out of the country, undervalued high end vehicles and funded terrorist organisations.

Then the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, visited Guyana. By the time he left the government announced that the United States had provided the information it had collected on the Mohameds.

Over the weekend the government moved to act on that information. Ranks from the Guyana Revenue Authority descended on the home of Azruddin Mohamed. They claimed that they were there to collect the high end vehicles.

These vehicles came into the country four years ago. Azruddin said that the government was made aware of the importation before the vehicles arrived in the country. The GRA was therefore expected to price the vehicles.

Someone needs to explain what happened at the GRA during the importation. Why did it take the Americans to uncover the undervaluing of the vehicles? Why did it take the government four years to recognise that the vehicles were undervalued?

Was there collusion with the GRA and the importer?

The government must now prove its case. One must also wonder whether there would be an investigation into the other allegations made by the Americans.

Of interest is the fact that the government’s move against the Mohameds has come just when Azruddin Mohamed seems to be galvanizing people away from the ruling PPP.

Azruddin told the media on Saturday that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Attorney General Anil Nandlall had caused him to issue a statement that he would not enter the political arena. Why?

A government that professes to be doing so much for Guyana should have no fear of a challenge. The very government has forecast that it would win the elections by a landslide. Has anything changed?