The report of the inquiry made into the allegations against officials of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) by self-confessed drug lord, Mr. Barry Dataram was this morning handed over to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. The probe was conducted by Brigadier Bruce Lovell, who was appointed by President David Granger, shortly after the allegations were made.
Brigadier Lovell said that the allegations made by Dataram are of a very serious nature against officials of the State and as such it was incumbent on the Government to carry out an investigation, which he completed in the period of two months.
“I am positive that the Government will find favour with the recommendations as well as the conclusions and take the appropriate actions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister Harmon said that quite a number of statements were taken by persons, who had information regarding the allegations.
“It is important for us to have these inquiries done. The Opposition and several other persons keep saying we are having inquiry after inquiry, but this is the way that we will determine what the facts of a situation are. That is what we do; we get to the bottom of things, we get the facts and then we deliberate on it and the actions taken subsequently are actions, which are to be taken by the State,” the Minister said.
The report will be presented to the President and a copy will be handed over to Minister of Public Security, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan.
Earlier this year, Mr. Dataram spoke to reporters at HGPTV Channel 67’s Nightly News, confessing that he is involved in the drug trade and accused top CANU officers of being in cahoots with drug lords.
In an exclusive interview broadcasted on HGPTV Channel 67’s Nightly News, Dataram accused a high ranking CANU official of being involved in the drug trade and added that the rank would take as much as $10 million to allow cocaine to leave the country. He said that drug lords would pay $5 million before the shipment and the remaining would be paid after the shipment.
Dataram also alleged that the majority of the drugs that is seized by CANU returns to the streets. He said that he knew of the action because of his involvement and his friends’ involvement in the trade.
CANU has since denied the claims.
