| (By Mondale Smith)“These are new soldiers. They had nothing to do with Lindo Creek,Cheap Jerseys,” said Army Commodore Gary Best, in response to attempts to link the recent mining camp robbery that involved an officer and three ranks to the Lindo creek killings in 2008.Commodore Best told reporters yesterday, that the military has a zero tolerance policy against theft.Given that the matter involves both the military and civil jurisdictions, if for some reason the civil jurisdiction is not willing to act against the ranks, then the military will have to act against them via court-martial. Investigations into the recent robbery committed on a Brazilian gold mining camp are on going, and Best said if the men are found guilty, they will lose their jobs.He said that the army has strong evidence in this case. “We intercepted the patrol and found them with gold and unaccounted cash in their possession in the Mabaruma area”.The army Chief-of-staff said, too,Stitched Jerseys, that the patrol comprised an army officer and three other ranks. They had committed a robbery on Brazilian miners. They have since been handed over to the police in keeping with a Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force protocol.“Once it’s a criminal offence,Wholesale China Jerseys, we don’t keep them in the Guyana Defence Force. We allow them to go to the police and let the law take its natural course.”Best said he cannot convince the hinterland people that robberies by Joint Service ranks will not happen again, but he guarantees that “if they report the incident it would be thoroughly investigated and if found culpable, the culprits will be dealt with according to the law.”Commodore Best said that he does not think that the army has lost its credibility as result of the recent robbery of a mining camp.He said that allegations being made that military ranks are involved in robberies and criminal activities, are not unique or new to the army.However, he said that while some officers and ranks have been charged before,China Jerseys Cheap, some allegations have never been proven. However, allegations of robbery under arms committed by ranks of the GDF “still come in from time to time.” Internally, he said the army has programmes that offer counselling and constant vetting of officers,Jerseys NFL Cheap, but sometimes it is not easy to get into an officers mind.While he did not offer a name for the officer involved, he did identify the officer as a Second Lieutenant who recently graduated and noted “more than likely he couldn’t have learnt that in the GDF or on the cadet course. He probably brought it with him.”Kaieteur News learnt that the officer is a graduate from one of the nation’s top secondary schools.Responding to reports that the robbery victims,China Jerseys, Brazilians, do not want to pursue the matter nor provide evidence against the ranks, Commodore Best said, “Our evidence base is strong and the law has to take its natural course.” |
