The Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force in separate statements on Wednesday, denied the involvement of any of its ranks or officers in the operation of the illegal aircraft which was found in Yupukari back in September, 2016.
The two statements came in response to a Guyana Chronicle headline, which stated “YUPUKARI cocaine plane: ARMY, POLICE OFFICERS FINGERED”.
The Chronicle’s report pointed to the findings of a Commission of Inquiry into the discovery of the airplane, which was suspected to have been involved in drug running from Colombia.
While the Commission’s findings did not state that GDF or GPF members were involved in the operation of the aircraft, it recommended an investigation into allegations that a police rank assaulted a villager during the course of the initial investigation and that GDF officers who may have been in the area, failed to report the discovery in a timely manner.
In its statement, the Guyana Police Force denied that the Commission’s Report indicates that any of its officers were involved (fingered) in the operations of the illegal aircraft.
“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.”
For its part, the Guyana Defence Force said while it “will not comment on the article itself, it finds the headline erroneous. The Force therefore takes this opportunity to caution that newspapers exercise due diligence and social responsibility when crafting headlines of this nature. These misleading headlines tend to give the impression of ranks being directly involved in illegal activities.”
The Guyana Police Force offered a caution to Media Houses, reminding them of the implications for publishing misleading “Headlines” and other information in order to sensationalize reporting.
The GDF reminded that it remains available to engage media workers on any issue that may involve its ranks.
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