President appeals to Acting Chancellor to ensure fair, impartial judiciary
-during address at 2008 Police Officers Conference
Georgetown, GINA, April 24, 2008
Addressing Police Officers during the opening of the Annual Police Officers Conference at Eve Leary today, President Bharrat Jagdeo said that when Government puts in place legislation that will provide the police and security forces at large with greater power and better tools to fight crime, a fair and impartial judiciary will next be needed.
After focusing on various issues in the country and outlining Government’s and the Caribbean region’s plans to tackle the spiralling crime rate, the President turned his attention to Acting Chancellor Carl Singh who was also at the forum. 
“We have had almost 60 cases this year where people have received bail for non bailable offences,” the President said, as he noted that many of the offences were trafficking in narcotics.
“Recently we changed the law for robbery under arms, that they should have no bail. We have witnessed some element of judicial lawmaking and I hope that you will look into that Mr. Chancellor to see that the judges and the Magistrates abide with the laws of the country and the will of the legislature because we need a fair judiciary, an impartial judiciary, a judiciary that is bound by the laws of the country, so we need to work on that,” he told Mr. Singh.
Comparing Guyana’s society to that of other countries, the Guyanese Leader pointed out that in Guyana many people seem to be suffering from Schizophrenia and expert syndrome where persons have now become experts in their own right on everything whenever the Police attempt to take action and during the crime fight.
The President said even the media like to complain about press freedom and to complain to countries like the United States of America where gruesome pictures are not allowed to be published in the media and photos of the large number of persons who die during the war. 
“We want clean streets but we dump garbage indiscriminately, we complain about accidents yet we don’t want to wear seatbelts and we complain about isolated incidents,” he said, referring in the latter case to the allegations of torture against members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
Alluding to the suspension of the License of CNS Channel 6 recently, President Jagdeo said that the licensee had breached the law and as long as he is Minister of Information, he will ensure that the laws under that portfolio are adhered to.
Returning to the issue of law enforcement officers facing a tough time with objections in the society to their action, the President said in certain countries, premises are searched without people’s permission and various provisions are put in place for a number of things, such as restrictions on the internet and the movement of citizens. In some cases, persons can be charged if they refer to criminals as freedom fighters or if they glorify terrorist acts in any way, according to the Head of State.
Acknowledging that some Officers get into corrupt practices and break the laws themselves, President Jagdeo said that despite this, there are many good officers in the Police Force and what is needed is the intelligence to engage the criminals who placed a setback on crime fighting when they committed the two recent massacres at Lusignan and Bartica. 
As to the link between crime and poverty which persons have been making, the President said in many cases this is not true since it does not explain why some wealthy drug dealers continue to commit crimes and why white collar criminals commit crimes as well.
“Yes, poverty impacts on people, but not every type of crime is because of poverty,” he reiterated.
The Guyanese Leader outlined the food crisis and other problems facing the world and said Guyanese need to get involved in the ‘grow more food’ initiative to supply the region since soon this will become a lucrative venture.
During his address a number of measures were outlined which he noted were proposed at the recent Caribbean Community (CARICOM) security meeting in Trinidad and Tobago to advance the crime fight in the region and to provide the police with better tools and more power. These included strengthening legislation, improving identification parades so that witnesses would not have to be present during these, an improved judiciary and a witness protection programme.
Meanwhile, he assured the Force that they should never question his commitment to the security forces and reminded that the Forces will continue relentlessly to pursue the criminals who committed the heinous massacres at Bartica and Lusignan.
Today’s Officers Conference was said to have been postponed from February this year following the first massacre when the Security Forces had to focus their attention on the crime situation, which they felt they had under control up to late last year.
Acting Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene admitted that the crime rate has increased since then and the killings were a huge setback for the Force as the criminal gang that the Police has been tracking for some years, resurfaced.
He explained that the 911 emergency line which was encountering some problems will be working more efficiently as the problems were identified.
Today’s opening ceremony which will continue for another two days, saw the President inspecting the Guard of Honour and a parade by the Police Force.
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IAC Executive members call on President Jagdeo
-presents first publication
Georgetown, GINA, April 24, 2008
Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) Executive Members, Neaz Subhan and Raymond Azeez today called on President Bharrat Jagdeo at his Office, New Garden Street where he was presented with a copy of the organization’s first special commemorative magazine titled: “Kal Aaj Aur Kal”, which means “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”.
The magazine has been published in time for the observance of the 170th Anniversary of the arrival of East Indians in Guyana.
While there, the IAC members used the opportunity to update President Jagdeo on the preparations for the organization’s three grand cultural melas which will be held at the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground on Sunday, April 27; the National Park, Georgetown on Sunday, May 4; and at the Albion Sports Complex, Berbice on May 5 - Arrival Day, also a national holiday.
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