Opposition Member of Parliament for the APNU, Sherod Duncan, has renewed calls for independent oversight of the country’s surveillance systems, saying  that the Government must provide clear answers on data protection, police drone operations and public-security cameras rather than rely on ministerial reviews after controversies arise.

In a statement today,  MP Duncan said the Ministry of Home Affairs’ statement addressed concerns that he had been raised in the National Assembly for almost a year, particularly the legal authority governing surveillance operations, safeguards for recorded footage and accountability for access to sensitive information.

Duncan said he first submitted a parliamentary question on November 19, 2025, seeking details about the protocols governing police drone surveillance, including approved operating procedures, footage retention and deletion, access restrictions and audit trails showing who viewed, copied or exported recordings.

He also raised concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in surveillance, including facial recognition and automated licence-plate capture.

“On May 9, 2026, I submitted a motion, seconded by MP Juretha Fernandes, calling for an independent Office of the Surveillance Commissioner and the effective implementation of Guyana’s data-protection framework. That motion proposed independent audits, inspections of surveillance systems, scrutiny of data sharing and access controls, investigation of citizens’ complaints, and public reporting to the National Assembly. It also addressed facial-recognition errors, algorithmic bias and the need to assess the impact of surveillance on fundamental rights. The Government has had before it a concrete proposal for the independent oversight this expanding surveillance infrastructure requires,” Duncan noted.

Duncan noted further, that last month, he submitted three additional Questions on Notice concerning public-security cameras and the Government’s Safe Country initiative. Those questions he said sought information on the ownership and control of surveillance footage and facial-recognition data, where recordings and backups are stored, and which government officials, contractors or foreign entities have access to the information.

He had also requested details on retention and deletion policies, access logs, audit findings, camera deployment, contractual arrangements, expenditure and the accuracy of facial-recognition technology.

“I call for a thorough, impartial investigation, subject to credible independent scrutiny, into the alleged unauthorised access, extraction and disclosure of surveillance footage, including any failures throughout the supervisory chain. Relevant recordings, access logs and instructions must be preserved, and accountability must follow the evidence wherever it leads. Consistent with the principles affirmed in APNU’s recent statement, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, Constable Ryan Greene and every person detained must receive humane treatment, access to legal counsel, necessary medical care and full respect for due process and the presumption of innocence. Allegations must be tested fairly in court. Detention must never become punishment before conviction or an instrument of political pressure,” Duncan noted.

MP Duncan comments come amid an ongoing investigation into the alleged unauthorised extraction and disclosure of footage from the Guyana Police Force’s Command Centre.

Police Constable Ryan Greene is being accused of downloading a footage from the Force’s surveillance network and transferring it to Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed.  Both men are currently on remand for that incident.

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