Police to determine need for international help in probe of Berbice teen murders -Pres Ali

The September murders on the West Coast of Berbice led to days of protests and calls for justice. At the time, the President said he will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for teen cousins, Isaiah and Joel Henry and Haresh Singh.

Police to determine need for international help in probe of Berbice teen murders   -Pres Ali

Two days after an Argentine Forensic Expert indicated his willingness to assist local investigators with their probe of the murder of three teenage boys in Berbice, the government is still to make any move on the offer and today, the President said he will await advice from the Police.

The September murders on the West Coast of Berbice led to days of protests and calls for justice. At the time, the President said he will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for teen cousins, Isaiah and Joel Henry and Haresh Singh.

But with Police investigators not making any headway with the probe and a visit by Regional Security officials bearing no fruit, the government has come under increasing pressure to seek more international national help.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, President Ali said “the government has facilitated the RSS. In some component of the investigation, I know the Police Force has reached out to the FBI and that is a continuing collaboration. The investigation is ongoing and the Police will advise me on what additional help is needed”.

The Guyana Human Rights Association has been pressing the Government to assist in the funding of a full Argentine investigation team to visit Guyana and carry out a probe of the murders.

During a preliminary visit by one fo the Argentine forensic experts this past weekend, Police investigators were not allowed to meet the expert. The Guyana Police Force also starved the forensic scientist of several pieces of information and material that he had requested.

The President said it is up to the Police to determine whether additional help is needed.

The Police Force has been leading the investigations into the matter. But more than three months since the gruesome murders, the case remains unsolved with no major breakthrough.

The Human Rights body has been pressing the government to bring in the Argentine experts but the administration refused, instead relying on the investigative work of the Police Force and a visit from the Regional Security Service which did not yield any results.

The Henry cousins were found butchered to death in the Cotton Tree Backdam on the 6th September.

Three days later, Haresh Singh was found murdered in the #3 village Backdam. 

A relative of Singh was an initial person of interest in the murder of the other two teenagers.

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