Nandlall warns against unmaintainable precedence  

Amid calls to involve various international police agencies in the investigation into the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, Attorney General Anil Nandlall stated that the government is mindful of providing special treatment that may not be extended to other citizens.

The Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs made the announcement earlier this week on his “Issues in the News” programme. He explained the government’s obligation to avoid creating an unsustainable precedent by bringing in international investigators and sidelining local law enforcement.

“The Guyana Police Force is the lawfully authorised agency to conduct investigations in Guyana,” the Attorney General asserted. He added: “If it is that every time persons are affected by a death or a death assumes the type of attention that this one has assumed, the government has to import law enforcement agencies, what will that do to the morale of the Guyana Police Force? But even more importantly, every family would then think that they are entitled to their particular case being investigated by a law enforcement agency other than the Guyana Police Force.”

The Attorney General explained that no one’s child is more valuable than another and questioned on what basis the government would offer such special treatment to one family without extending it to others.

He emphasised that government decisions must be made without setting a precedent, always considering the public good.

The Attorney General also noted that retired officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Leonard McCoshen, who was hired by the Government of Guyana, is currently in-country and began his work with the Guyana Police Force on Wednesday.