Inquiry launched into the shooting of a woman by GDF Officer

DPI, GUYANA, Thursday, April 5, 2018

A Board of Inquiry has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of a young woman by her reputed husband, a senior officer of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

This was confirmed today by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who expressed, while he cannot say definitively what are the sociological issues underpinning crimes of this nature, “anytime a life is lost in this country, it is one lifeless that we have for the development of Guyana, therefore we take very seriously any time people die under any circumstance”.

Minister Harmon noted that it is now up to the Court of Law to determine if the senior officer is culpable of murder.

The State Minister discounted arguments that there is a disproportionately high level of police or military officers involved in these types of crimes. “If you are to look at it from across the society certainly the statistics would not bear out that conclusion,” he noted.

The minister, who is also a former senior officer of the GDF, said the fact that these officers bear arms as part of their daily activities, training and ensuring the efficient execution of duties are credible suggestions to be taken into account by the Guyana Defence and Police Forces.

Minister Harmon said these said recommendations may be put forward to the Chief-of-Staff of the GDF by the Board of Inquiry upon completion of the investigations.

It is reported that on Saturday morning last, Aide-de-Camp to GDF Chief-of-Staff Patrick West, Captain Orwain Sandy went berserk emptying his gun on his reputed wife in First Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown.

After committing the act, Captain Sandy presented himself to the Ruimveldt Police Station. Dead is Reona Payne of Haslington Village, East Coast Demerara, who worked as a travel agent.

Hours after the shooting, the GDF captain was interdicted from duty and the inquiry was launched into the incident.

 

 

By: Stacy Carmichael