Amanza Walton, the lone parliamentarian of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), is demanding immediate answers from the authorities over the detention of Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and other We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Members of Parliament following a late-night incident involving a vessel on the Demerara River.
Walton issued the statement Wednesday as the situation was still unfolding, saying she was in direct communication with parliamentary colleagues aboard the vessel.
She said the lawmakers told her they were not being pursued by police and had already docked at Friendship when law enforcement arrived.
“My colleagues have informed me that the police were never in pursuit of them. They had already docked at Friendship and were on the wharf when the police came upon them. The vessel has since been taken under tow.”
Walton said the circumstances raised immediate questions about the authority under which the vessel was seized and the detention of those aboard.
“These circumstances raise immediate and serious questions about the legal authority for these actions, the destination to which the Members are being taken and the safety of everyone aboard. The authorities must immediately disclose where they are being taken, by whose authority and for what lawful purpose.”
The incident involves Mohamed and several opposition parliamentarians who had travelled aboard the vessel after visiting Mabaruma and Port Kaituma, where they met residents and persons affected by the MV Barima tragedy.
The police have given a different account of the incident. According to the Guyana Police Force, a joint patrol involving police and Coast Guard personnel spotted the vessel travelling at high speed on the Demerara River and signalled it to stop. Police said the vessel did not comply, resulting in a pursuit that ended at Friendship.
Authorities have also said questions arose over the vessel’s documentation and the credentials of the person operating it. The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) subsequently stated that neither the vessel nor Mohamed was authorised to operate in Guyana’s waters.
The competing accounts have fuelled a growing political controversy over whether the police action was a routine enforcement operation or whether elected opposition figures were subjected to disproportionate treatment.
Walton also raised the detention of MP Natasha Singh, calling for immediate confirmation of her location and legal status.
“I also understand that MP Natasha Singh is presently under arrest at a police station. The authorities must immediately confirm her location, safety and legal status, together with the grounds for her arrest or continued detention.”
She called on the heads of the country’s security agencies to ensure that officers operate within the law and without political interference.
“I call upon the Head of the Joint Services, Brigadier Khan, Commissioner of Police Hicken and National Security Adviser Gouveia to exercise the leadership necessary to ensure that every rank involved acts with professional composure, restraint and complete political impartiality. All actions must remain strictly within the law.”
Walton also urged the Speaker of the National Assembly to establish the whereabouts and legal status of the parliamentarians involved.
“The safety and liberty of sitting Members of Parliament cannot be a matter of indifference to the Speaker.”
She further called on members of the diplomatic community to monitor developments closely, warning that the situation had not yet been resolved.
“This is not a report of an incident which has ended. It is unfolding now.”
Walton stressed that her concerns did not amount to a claim that parliamentarians should be immune from lawful enforcement.
“No person, including any Member of Parliament, is above the law. Equally, the law cannot be used as a pretext for intimidation, and the security apparatus of the State cannot be deployed for partisan political purposes.”
She said the actions of the security services must have a clear legal basis, be proportionate and respect due process.
The confrontation comes at a time of heightened political tension following the MV Barima tragedy, with opposition parties and civil society groups demanding greater accountability over maritime safety, public infrastructure and the conduct of state agencies.
Walton’s intervention adds another layer to those concerns, focusing attention on the extent to which law enforcement powers are being exercised against elected officials and whether the State can demonstrate a clear legal basis for the actions taken.
