Procurement Committee to certify arms purchases for police, army

Last Updated on Thursday, 11 August 2016, 14:32 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana government is moving to streamline the procedure for importing arms and ammunition for the police and army, with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan heading a procurement committee.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon told a news conference on that the National Security Committee decided that the committee would “look at the procurement of arms for the disciplined services so that any further purchases of arms and ammunition will be certified by that body.”

He said that future arms purchases for the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force would be certified by the Ramjattan-led Procurement Committee.

Harmon said the purchase of arms has been deferred to allow the Ramjattan-headed committee to conduct its own checks.

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman said more information has been sought about an arms supplier in relation to memorandum for the purchase of the arms.

Trotman confirmed that city businessman, Lawrence “Larry” Singh has been supplying weapons to the Guyana Defence Force on a sole-sourcing basis to ensure confidentiality of information since the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration. Trotman said that relationship would be reviewed.

Singh has been also importing weapons for security entities at major gold mines.