The US State Department has flagged corruption in the Guyana Police Force again, pointing out that there were frequent reports of corruption by officers last year.

The State Department has released its latest report on Human Rights practices in Guyana and took the Police Force to task over some of its practices.

“Corruption by police officers was frequent.  In August, police officer Dion Bascom alleged that a businessman bribed members of the Guyana Police Force to foil an investigation into an execution-style killing of Ricardo Fagundes, a gold miner.  As of October, police had not investigated Bascom’s claims,” the report stated.

In addition, the document highlighted that there were several reports of government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.

“In May police shot and killed Deanraj Singh. Police officials alleged that Singh was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police. As of October 31, police were investigating the case. In June police shot and killed Quindon Bacchus. According to police officials, Bacchus was the subject of an undercover investigation regarding the purchase of black-market firearms. During the operation, Bacchus shot at the officers, who returned fire, resulting in Bacchus’s death. In July authorities arrested police officer Kristoff Denobrega and charged him with the murder of Bacchus. As of October 31, no date had been set for his trial,” the US state Department pointed out.

The Report did not highlight the police killing of Orin Boston in Dartmouth, but highlighted that as of October, the inquest ordered by the Department of Public Prosecutions regarding the May 2021 killing of Peter Headley had not been held.

According to the State Department, significant human rights issues including reports of unlawful or arbitrary killings, including laws that criminalize consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adult men, were not enforced. Child Labor, according to the report, remains rampant in Guyana.

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