Ex-Lt. Colonel, former Lieutenant's properties searched
Kaieteur News
March 7, 2006
As the search continues for the missing high-powered weapons stolen from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) base, the joint services conducted searches on the properties of two ex-army officers.
Yesterday afternoon members of the Guyana Police and Defence Forces searched the home of former Lieutenant Chris Harding in Charlestown and the office of Ex-Lieutenant Colonel George Gomes in Waterloo Street . In both searches the police came up empty-handed.
The searches have left the former army officers feeling embarrassed. However, they both claimed that the searches were conducted in a professional manner.
According to Harding, who once served as the first Aide-de-Camp to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, the search team, which was led by a police superintendent and a GDF warrant officer, turned up at his home around 18:10 hours.
Several ranks surrounded the house while others blocked off a section of the road from vehicular traffic.
Harding said that the team was armed with a search warrant that was signed by a judge, and he had no objections to them searching his home, although his mother was present. He told this newspaper that the search team told him that it was acting on allegations that were made against him.
Harding said that on Sunday night around 22:00 hours an officer from the GDF had contacted him to arrange a meeting.
“I spoke to my ‘squaddie' Major Sydney James last night (Sunday)…He told me that he wanted to speak to me about the thirty-two. I understood that to mean the 32 missing weapons. We arranged to meet at my house at 08:30 hours today (Monday) but he did not turn up. I left for work at around 09:15 hours.”
The former lieutenant told Kaieteur News that he learnt about the missing weapons last Tuesday from a friend who asked him if he had seen the newspapers.
When he said no, the friend then invited him to read the Stabroek News, and it was only then that he learnt that weapons were stolen from the GDF Headquarters.
“I feel exonerated of any allegations, but at the same time my mother and I are embarrassed. I am not involved in any drugs or any illegal activities,” he stated.
Another search team had earlier gone to the Kalibur Investigation and Security Services on Waterloo Street, operated by Ex-Lieutenant Colonel Gomes at around 17:30 hours.
Gomes told Kaieteur News that he was about to leave when five truckloads of army and police ranks descended on the premises.
“They came with a warrant and said that they were searching for missing weapons. I cooperated and allowed all of them free access to conduct the search, which lasted for about ten minutes. I must compliment them; they were professional,” Homes said. He too however expressed embarrassment at what transpired.
“The army's intelligence is highly flawed. It appears as though senior officers in the army are under threat to their jobs and they have to demonstrate to their political masters that they are doing something,” Gomes told Kaieteur News.
He said that coming after Camp Groomes the recent loss of weapons has confirmed that the army is in a serious downward spiral in terms of its administration.
According to Gomes, on Sunday Lieutenant Colonel Pompey of the GDF telephoned him requesting that his security firm provide whatever information it may gather about the missing weapons. He offered to help.
“I felt as a former senior military officer, I don't know what could have led them to even consider that I had anything to do with missing weapons,” Gomes stressed.
President Bharrat Jagdeo had expressed some amount of confidence that the stolen weapons would be recovered after he was assured by Chief of Staff Brigadier General Edward Collins.
The Commander-in-Chief stated that many persons will talk about the methods that will be used to recover the weapons, but warned that he will support those efforts.
The GDF maintains that five pistols and 33 AK-47 assault rifles were stolen from its bond at Camp Ayanganna .
Several ranks, including a Warrant Officer, are being questioned as investigations continue.