Seven persons arrested in relation to the murder of two Berbice teens
–Minister Benn calls for end to unlawful activities
The swift efforts by the Guyana Police Force has seen a total of seven persons arrested in relation to the brutal murder of the two teenage cousins in Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice. A postmortem is expected to be conducted on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.
This was disclosed by Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie during a press briefing at the Ministry of Home Affairs today. Also, in attendance was Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Robeson Benn.
During the press conference, both the Police Commissioner and the Home Affairs Minister re-issued earlier calls for persons from villages on the West Coast of Berbice to cease unlawful protest actions.
“The Guyana Police Force takes this opportunity to warn residents to desist from blocking the roads as it is illegal and will stymie the work of the police. We urge that you work with us as we continue to strengthen our relationship with the community,” the Commissioner stated.
“I continue to urge the Guyana Police Force and all law-abiding persons in the area and beyond to lend support and to execute the task of restoring order to area so that commuters are safe and that normal activities could be conducted in safety,” the Home Affairs Minister said, adding his voice to the call.
Minister Benn is also calling on persons, especially those in the political arena to be careful with their statements and assuming that the crime was racially motivated, without any evidence.
“I find this very unsettling and unfortunate that these statements have been made. I want to call on those persons to lend their efforts, to have those persons and communities to whom they have influence to desist from unlawful practices related to these events,” the Minister pleaded.
In an effort to restore order and to remove the debris from the roadways, the Guyana Police Force now has the support of the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Fire Service.
President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, on Monday, assured the families of the slain West Coast Berbice teenagers that he will work with law enforcement to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to swift justice. “I assure you that as President, I will work very, very hard to ensure those criminals are brought to justice…. We have to work on ensuring that crimes like these do not reoccur,” President Ali said.
However, the President also called on the public to exercise patience and to allow the Guyana Police Force to conduct its investigations.