Norton asks for CoI, including lie detector tests, into Adriana Younge’s death

Last Updated on Saturday, 3 May 2025, 12:40 by Writer

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton on Friday wrote President Irfaan Ali requesting an international commission of inquiry (CoI) into the death of Adriana Younge whose body was found in a hotel pool on April 24.

“All parties submitting statements must be subjected to a lie detector test during the investigation. This must include the Commissioner of Police, the Regional Commander, Detective Smith, the hotel owner and staff,” he set out in a three-page letter to the Guyanese leader.

Mr Norton also recommended that the CoI be headed by a distinguished jurist from one of the Commonwealth member states and backed by “neutral” investigations that should be done by either the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, United Kingdom Scotland Yard or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

He said the CoI should develop a respectful process to involve Ms. Younge’s family and the public in the inquiry.

It is unclear how the Opposition Leader concluded that Younge’s death was “murder” but he said the main functions of that CoI should be to uncover the entire truth, ensure that those responsible for her “murder” are brought to justice without fear or favour and restore confidence in the rule of law.

He requested that the CoI assess evidence handling to determine whether the failure to maintain the hotel and surrounding area as a crime scene compromised key forensic evidence and assess whether that failure resulted from incompetence, or deliberate action or inaction.

The Opposition Leader also recommended that the terms of reference include an evaluation of the police force’s response to determine whether there was professionalism, timeliness and effectiveness in all stages and whether their actions were consistent with legal requirements and best practices for handling missing children’s reports and crime scene investigations.

In light of the fact that the police force had issued a statement saying that Younge had entered an identifiable vehicle, Mr Norton said the police force’s public communication system must be evaluated to ascertain whether information provided to the public and to the girl’s family was accurate, timely and transparent and to Ms Younge’s family was accurate, timely, and transparent, including statements regarding the autopsy results.

He said the aim is also to “determine whether any such pronouncement was intended to mislead the public.”

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has already accepted full responsibility for the inaccurate press release, saying it was partly due to hearsay information that had been transmitted to a police sergeant by her friend based on what he had purportedly heard.

If government accepts the proposed CoI terms of reference, the panel would be tasked with reviewing breaches of the chain of command by examining communications within the police force from the time the missing report was filed to the the lifting of the curfew after the events of April 28.

Relatedly, he said the commission should determine whether any instructions were improperly influenced, overruled or hindered by government officials.

Similarly, a CoI, he said should investigate whether political directives influenced operational decisions within the GPF, and assess the extent to which such directives may have contributed to operational failures.

The Opposition Leader said the probe should also seek to find out whether the police force failed to take preemptive action to implement crowd control particularly during the autopsy and whether this was the result of incompetence or a calculated decision.

The CoI can potentially assess whether police actions or inactions contributed to the escalation of unrest, if the use of force – including deadly force – complied with standard operating procedures and if any breach contributed to the unrest.

Mr Norton also wants the CoI to examine whether agent provocateurs infiltrated peaceful protests, and whether the police force failed to take reasonable preventative measures to mitigate this “known phenomenon during public demonstrations.”

The Opposition Leader said the Inquiry should identify systemic weaknesses within the police force ant recommend organisational, legislative, or procedural reforms, publish a comprehensive final report detailing the findings, conclusions, and actionable recommendations.

Now that the autopsy by three foreign forensic pathologists have concluded that Ms Younge drowned, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo earlier this week said there was still need for a thorough investigation but suggested whether that should be done by foreign investigators would be for President Irfaan Ali to decide.

Police have so far sent the then-Divisional Commander Assistant Police Commissioner on administrative leave and fired two policemen.

The owner of the Double Day Hotel at Tuschen has been released from custody, ordered to report to police daily and blacklisted from leaving Guyana.