Should Guyanese Trust The ‘RSS’ To Investigate Isaiah, Joel Henry and Haresh Singh Murder?

Reports have shown that a five-member team from the Regional Security System arrived in Guyana on Monday, September 27, 2020, to investigate the murder of Isaiah, Joel Henry, and Haresh Singh from No.3 Village, West Coast Berbice.

As a result of an MOU signed by the Government of Guyana and The Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), the team will be in Guyana assisting the government with the murder investigation. This visit came about after the President Irfaan Ali seeks regional help into the investigation.

The police force conducted a local investigation, and nothing evidential was found leading up to the teens’ death. The murders led to a riot and protest in the Berbice area. After many outcries, the government of Guyana assures Guyanese that he will seek international help to bring the perpetrators to justice.

A criminal investigation of this magnitude requires experts to ensure that the crime scene is protected and no evidence tampered. Guyana has always had a series of murders with no proper investigation since the police force is not equipped to conduct such an investigation.

Do you think that the government should engage in training individuals to prepare for these kinds of incidents? Sure, but the government is looking to spend money on agencies that are not even as qualified to boost the investigation. The Regional Security System (RSS), according to its mandate, is not set out to carry out crime investigation.

“RSS operations consist of maritime, air, and land activities. Each component plays a crucial role in the success of all RSS operations. Additionally, each component is dependent on one another for mission success. All three have different capabilities, but as a team, they provide the RSS with unmatched capability on land, sea, and air.”

The question is, what is the role of the RSS in Guyana? Besides, the government has an MOU with the CARICOM IMPACS to assist in this venture. After careful research, are these agencies capable enough to carry out a criminal investigation of this magnitude in Guyana? What is the real purpose of these agencies in Guyana, one may ask?

I believe these questions linger in many Guyanese minds, especially after hearing of an agency they never heard of before leading the criminal investigation. What are we trying to achieve by spending money on agencies with little or no capacity to investigate a murder with no evidence?

Guyana is a tropical country, and the crime scene was not fully protected. So what evidence the RSS this team will use to determine the teenagers’ death.