Granger points finger at ruling party for Crum-Ewing’s killing

Last Updated on Saturday, 21 September 2019, 9:26 by Writer

Presidential candidate for the opposition coalition, David Granger Saturday night sought to link the gunning down of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing to the ruling People’s Progressive Party.

Addressing thousands of persons at the Linden Bus Park, Granger said “the rulers of the darkness of the world killed Courtney.” He observed that 10 years ago there was the phantom squad when Bharrat Jagdei was president.”

Granger noted that Jagdeo has resurfaced and that the coalition of A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change was opposed to politcally motivated killings. “We are not going to tolerate political assassinations,” he said.

The Opposition Leader urged the gathering to pay attention to everything that Jagdeo says. Jagdeo recently raised the controversial issue of race and politics and at the same time stressed that the PPP is not a racist party. He has alleged that during the 2011 general election the oppositon had gone into some communities beating drums and urging people to vote the East Indians out of office.

Granger, a retired Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force and member of the Disciplined Forces Commision, stressed that “we wrestle against a dangerous PPP. We wrestle against the phantom squad,” he said.

The opposition has repeatedly blamed what it says is a state-sponsored phantom squad for the death of 400 persons during the 2002 to 2006 violent crime spree.

Prior to being renditioned to the United States and convicted for drug trafficking, Shaheed Roger Khan had publicly taken credit for dealing with heavily armed gangs and avoiding a coup. Khan and several men had been arrested at Good Hope with high powered weapons and cellular phone interception equipment that is only sold to governments.

A commission of inquiry had cleared then Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj of accusations that he had been linked to a death squad. He later stepped down under pressure from Western Nations and was appointed High Commissioner to India.

President Donald Ramotar has already condemned Crum-Ewing’s killing and has called on the police to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators and intellectual authors to justice.

The APNU+AFC coalition has appealed for calm and called for a thorough probe. The Roman Catholic Church has asked churches countrywide to dedicate Sunday as a day of prayer for Guyana.