Police denies officers’ involvement in illegal aircraft’s presence at Yupukari

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is denying claims that the recent Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate the circumstances, in which a foreign aircraft entered Guyana, indicates that any of its officers were involved (fingered) in the operations of the illegal aircraft.

According to an article in today’s (Wednesday, December 28, 2016) edition of the Guyana Chronicle Newspaper under the caption “…YUPUKARI cocaine plane: ARMY, POLICE OFFICERS FINGERED”, “two senior members of the joint services have been fingered in the landing and operations of a cocaine-carrying Colombian-registered aircraft that was discovered at Yupukari, Region Nine in September this year.”

The state-owned newspaper said this was included in the final report into the investigation concerning the plane which also “cited him for physically assaulting civilians at the scene who wanted to report the discovery of the plane to authorities.”

This, the police confirmed noting that “the report did recommend that a Police Officer be disciplined for use of excessive force on a civilian during the course of the inquiry and not for any act prior to the discovery of the aircraft.”

The article added that “the officers- a deputy superintendent of police and a 2nd lieutenant of the GDF have been removed from their postings in the area as the GDF-led Board of Inquiry commenced.”

The Guyana Police Force wishes to caution Media Houses of the implications for publishing misleading “Headlines” and other information in order to sensationalize its reporting.

The illegal aircraft was discovered near the village of Yupukari, Upper Essequibo-Upper Takutu on September 13, 2016.

The plane, bearing registration number N767Z, was first brought to the attention of officials on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 by a resident of the area. The following day, Wednesday, September 14, a Joint Army and Police team, inclusive of CANU, were dispatched to the location to conduct investigations.