New York/ PHILIPSBURG:--- Ms. Keoma Hamer has received an invitation from the Police Commissioner to travel to Antigua and Barbuda to assist the Police with further investigating her case. The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) believes this is a step in the right direction. In response, Ms. Hamer thanked the Police for the invitation and indicated her willingness to do everything possible to assist the investigation.
Ms. Hamer advised the Police Commissioner that the invitation is under consideration by her and her attorneys who would advise her on the way forward. She assured the Police Commissioner that she would be amenable to traveling to Antigua to assist with the investigation only if said investigation will be conducted by an independent entity; the process would be fair and transparent; the extraction of specimens for DNA testing is conducted in her presence and the chain of custody of the specimens would be supervised by an entity that is not affiliated with the government or Police Force.
CGID endorses the conditions Ms. Hamer outlined to the Police. They are reasonable and rational given the unwarranted and ad hominem attacks on her from Antigua and Barbuda government officials who have prematurely rushed to judgment and publicly announced major conclusions even before a thorough Police investigation has commenced.
Unfortunately, the preemption of the investigation has prejudiced the entire process and engendered deep mistrust that can only be assuaged by an independent inquiry.
The investigation must be credible. Ms. Hamer’s participation, as well as acceptance of the outcome, are therefore contingent on an independent investigation with transparency and integrity. CGID today wrote the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda requesting such an invitation.
We are confident that the government Antigua and Barbuda are eager to expedite a credible inquiry that would finally bring closure to this matter.
Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)
January 2, 2020.
