All efforts will be made to recover over 150 missing guns – Benn

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Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn has assured that all efforts will be made to ensure authorities recover over 150 guns that have gone missing from the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

The missing guns were revealed in an audit conducted into the GPF. It is understood that these weapons were either seized from criminals for use as exhibits in cases, or firearms lodged by private citizens.

When contacted by this publication, Benn confirmed the missing cache of weapons. He further assured that all efforts will be made to track down the firearms, but could not give further details until he had completed a perusal of the report.

Minister Benn also confirmed that the financial aspect of the audit is continuing.

“I’ve been told that a number of weapons of that kind are missing. There’s otherwise an audit ongoing into the financial department of the police force and that is underway,” Benn said.

Under the previous government, Khemraj Ramjattan – who served as Minister of Public Security – would have had oversight for the GPF.

Efforts to contact him on the matter proved futile.

The 2019 audit into the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) is the last time an audit was
conducted into the operations of the Police Foce. That audit had turned up a heap of financial irregularities and ultimately resulted in the removal of the then SOCU Head Sydney James.

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