Submitted by Jevon Suralie, Director of Communications, Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID

Guyana is the only country in the world in which an individual who has been publicly accused of solicitation of a minor; endangering the welfare of a miner and alleged attempted paedophilia, has been appointed to the Rights of the Child Commission.

Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday appointed his press officer, Kwame McCoy, to The Rights of the Child Commission. McCoy is arguably the most offensive and odious personality in politics in Guyana today. Last year he was accused of soliciting sex via telephone from a 14 year old boy named Julius. The child’s family got wind of McCoy’s alleged frequent telephone sexual advances and prurient indulgences with the minor and tape-recorded one such conversation.

The said recording was later released to and played in the national media. McCoy denied that it was his voice on the tape. Shockingly, the Guyana Police Force made no attempt to seriously investigate this matter; thereby reinforcing the realization that members of President Jagdeo’s administration are above the law. The accusations against McCoy were so vile, that the United States government revoked his visa and banned him from future travel to the US.

This notwithstanding, McCoy was yesterday sworn in as a member the Rights of the Child Commission. This disgraceful development instantly prompted his fellow Commission member, Vidyaratha Kissoon, to resign from Commission with immediate effect, citing the failure of the Guyana government and Police to investigate or resolve the allegations of “child maltreatment” against McCoy. Mr. Kissoon should be commended for his valiant and principled stance.

President Jagdeo and his government have perverted the course of justice in Guyana, and have perennially and obdurately flaunted the rule of law. The course of justice has been so corrupted that children are no longer guaranteed basic protection by the State.

I don’t know about Guyana but we in the United States as well as the international community, take sexual abuse of children seriously. Under US federal and State law, a  person 18 years of age or older who solicits a child or someone the person reasonably believes is a child to engage in sexual conduct with intent to engage in sexual conduct is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for at least three years to life.

Moreover, “A person is guilty of a crime if the person is an adult and solicits or conspires with a minor to commit a crime or delinquent act or is an accomplice to a minor in the commission of a crime or delinquent act.” The law defines “solicit” as: “commanding, entreating, or attempting to persuade a specific person in person, by telephone, by letter, or by computerized or other electronic means.

President’s Jagdeo’s inclusion of an alleged child predator on the Rights of the Child Commission, rendered absolutely laughable comments made by Guyana’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms. Shalimar Ali-Hack. Speaking to reporters outside the Georgetown Magistrate Court, where she emerged from a bail hearing for Guyanese broadcaster and businessman C.N. Sharma, who ironically has been indicted for statutory rape, said she is very concerned about the prevalence of sexual abuse of children.

Hack also stated that the Guyanese court system and society as a whole should protect young children. Her comments prompted many in the Guyanese Diaspora to with parody ask if she was Rip Van Winkle reincarnated? Suffice it to say that Mr. C.N. Sharma is the leader of the Justice for All party in Guyana, and is a political opponent of the ruling people’s Progressive Party government. National elections in Guyana are scheduled for 2011.

The McCoy allegation is not the first of such to plague the Guyana government. Two years ago, Guyana’s Minister in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, was also allegedly accused of sexual misconduct with a thirteen year-old girl; a report of which was ostensibly made at the Alberttown Police Station in Georgetown. Nothing became of this allegation, and Minister Ramsarran remain in office comfortably.

CGID believes firmly in the rule of law, as well in the cardinal tenets of fundamental and natural justice – the due process rights of an individual. The Institute believes in and strongly advocates that an accused is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law; having been adjudged by a judge or jury of one peers.

We apply these same principles to the individuals mentioned here. While our intent is to not to cast aspersions of guilt on any party,  we insist that when such grave allegations are made against public officials, the government and the Police have a legal and moral duty to investigate them impartially and thoroughly and let the chips fall where they may. During the period of such investigation, the parties concerned should be relieved of their public responsibilities, so as to lend confidence to the investigation and protect the public trust.

President Jagdeo’s practice of eschewing investigations and ignoring these serious allegations smacks of arrogance and cover-up; guarantee their currency and gives reason for them to become settled facts and acts of abuse and injustice. One can hardly fathom why the Guyana government or the accused would resist an investigation which, could clear their name, if they were innocent. Could it be that they are afraid of the truth?