George Bacchus, the man at the centre of explosive death
squad allegations, wants to provide more information but is
concerned about his safety and wants firm security assurances,
a relative told Stabroek News yesterday.
The relative, who preferred to remain anonymous because of
security concerns, says that Bacchus faces a dilemma over his
safety because neither the State nor the police force could be
relied upon to protect him since he has implicated them in the
operations of the death squad. There is also no witness
protection programme that could be offered to him.
Bacchus had visited the US embassy on several occasions to
tell officials there his story as a means of enhancing his
security but the relative says as of now the embassy is
unlikely to provide any guarantee for his safety as he is not
a citizen. Sources also say that the US embassy is likely to
tread carefully in this matter considering the sensitivities
of the Guyana Government.
Several weeks after his allegations, the government and the
police force had called on Bacchus to come forward and give a
detailed statement. Critics had said that the police had ample
opportunities to take a statement from him during his earlier
visits to them in relation to the murder of his brother
Shafeek Bacchus.
For several months now, George Bacchus has kept a low
profile because of concerns over his security. Suggestions
have been floated that the private sector or some other civil
society organisation could take on the responsibility of
guaranteeing his safety considering the seriousness of the
charges that have been raised by him.
The relative said given the concerns over safety they
wanted to proceed very carefully.
George Bacchus sparked controversy when he said he was the
intended target of men who gunned down his brother Shafeek
earlier this year. George Bacchus said he had used his own
resources to provide information to the death squad on
notorious criminals who had then been terrorising the country.
After the criminals had been put out of commission, George
Bacchus said the death squad members started gunning for him
because he (George) had complained that it had transformed
itself from a crime-fighting unit into a guns-for-hire
operation.
Three men were eventually charged with Shafeek Bacchus'
murder based on George Bacchus' allegations. One of the
accused subsequently died under mysterious circumstances in
the hospital and lab tests are currently underway in the US to
establish his cause of death.
