By Fareeza Haniff
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has refuted claims by the Opposition parties that there is no Anti – Kidnapping Unit in existence within the Guyana Police Force.
However, while the Minister is claiming that such a unit exits, he refused to divulge any information relating to how many members are in the unit or who is responsible for it.
“I can’t say, I think those are questions you could direct to the Commissioner of Police, I am not the Commissioner of Police. I am the Minister of Home Affairs. I am told that there is an Anti – Kidnapping Unit in the Guyana Police Force and in fact I would find it strange that after so many years and so many experiences they don’t have such a unit in the Police Force,” Rohee told reporters during a PPP news conference on Monday, April 14.
Members of the Opposition parties were quoted in a daily local newspaper calling for the establishment of the said unit. When asked about this, the Home Affairs Minister said, “It amazes me that the Opposition doesn’t know that an Anti – Kidnapping Unit exits already within the Guyana Police Force.”
The issue of kidnapping arose following the recent abduction and subsequent murder of Enmore businessman, Rajendra Singh.
The Home Affairs Minister admitted that while he followed this kidnapping ordeal very closely, he did not inquire as to who was heading the unit.
“Anytime a person is kidnapped, we are concerned and we follow it closely.”
Singh, a spare parts auto dealer was kidnapped by two gunmen on April 05 at his Foulis, East Coast Demerara business place. His car was found abandoned in Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara by his wife.
The kidnappers had initially demanded $50M from the family, but reduced it to $25m. The ransom was never paid and Singh was found dead on April 09 with a gunshot wound to his head in the Le Repentir Cemetery in Georgetown.
