The Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) has rejected the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the 2008 Lindo Creek Massacre, which has implicated the country’s security forces in the crime.
The report, which was handed over to President David Granger last month, cleared the Rondell Rawlins ‘Fineman Gang’ of the crime, which contradicts the conclusion of the investigation conducted by Guyana Police Force ten years ago.
In a statement Saturday, the PPP restated its position that the COI was established with a preconceived intention of holding the Joint Services liable and to exonerate the notorious criminals.
Accusing members of the current administration of protecting criminals, the PPP said “it is a real tragedy when a Government can travel to such extent to protect criminals and tarnish our law enforcement officers, who risk their lives every day to protect the law abiding citizens of this land”.
In rejecting the findings of the COI, some of which have been reported by News Room, the PPP urged the Joint Services not to despair.
“To our Joint Services men and women, who have been wrongly tarnished in this Report, we say, do not despair, we stand with you, and we are sure that so do a large majority of our citizens,” the PPP said.
Full statement from the PPP
From the inception, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) expressed no confidence in the establishment of a Commission to inquire into the Lindo Creek killings.
We knew that this Commission was established with a preconceived intention of holding the Joint Services liable and to exonerate the notorious killer, Rondell Rawlins also known as “Fine Man” and his murderous gang. We pointed out that a close relative of a leading member of the Coalition Government was appointed as the lone Commissioner to bring home this finding. Nearly a year later and after the expenditure of unknown millions of taxpayers’ dollars, we have been vindicated.
Certain PNC leaders’ close affiliation with criminals, criminal gangs and their posture against the law enforcement agencies are well documented and have a long history. The draping of our national flag on the coffin of the notorious criminal Blackie London and marching with his corpse along the streets of Georgetown; the nocturnal visits of many leaders of that party, including, a close relative of the lone Commissioner, in south Buxton to liaise with criminal gangs hiding out in “the gulf”; the labelling of the 2001 jailbreak escapees, who terrorized law abiding citizens for years, as “freedom fighters”; their mass street protests against segments of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), who bravely took on the bandits; the continuous pardoning of convicted criminals by President Granger – are all irrefutable evidence of where they stand on this issue.
So while we emphatically reject the findings of the Donald Trotman Commission of Inquiry, we are not surprised by it. In fact, we predicted it. However, it is a real tragedy when a Government can travel to such extent to protect criminals and tarnish our law enforcement officers, who risk their lives every day to protect the law abiding citizens of this land.
To our Joint Services men and women, who have been wrongly tarnished in this Report, we say, do not despair, we stand with you, and we are sure that so do a large majority of our citizens.
People’s Progressive Party
September 15th, 2018
