Rogue GDF ranks will face full wrath of the law – acting Chief-of-Staff

53rd anniversary

…as 780 new ranks welcomed

At a time when the number of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks have been implicated in various types of criminal activities, acting Chief-of-Staff, Colonel Trevor Bowman has warned that any rank found involved in rape, robbery or any other crime will face the full wrath of the law.
He signalled this warning at the GDF’s 53rd anniversary prayer service hosted on Thursday at Camp Ayanganna, Thomas Lands, Georgetown.
“Those ranks who wear a uniform and are bent on devious acts like robbery, rape, assault and abuse must be separated from us. It must bother us when they are allowed to remain in our force, eat in our mess halls and find refuge in our barracks,” Bowman warned.
The acting Chief-of-Staff told the hall of ranks who attended the church service that they ought to monitor their behaviour and pay keen attention to the posts they make on social media to ensure it does not breach the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the Defence Force.
Moreover, he referenced what is expected of them. “We expect you to remain committed to securing frontier and not to be consumed by the ‘get rich quick’ theme that beaches all of our Standard Operating Procedures”.
Bowman also took the time to give the ranks insight as he related that their duties could become heavier as the country will become an oil producing one. According to him, the recent discoveries of commercial quantities of oil can very well impact

the country in a dramatic way.
He therefore urged all the ranks to be prepared to deal with traditional and non-traditional threats.
It was on that noted that the acting Chief-of-Staff pointed to the fact that the strength of the Defence Force will be boosted with the immediate appointment of 780 ranks. Bowman noted, “With effect from today (Thursday), 1st of November, 2018, the authorised strength of the force will be adjusted upwards to 3845, an increase of 780 persons. This increase in manpower is necessary as we transform to meet the challenges of a changing environment.”
While speaking to the new ranks, he urged them not to abuse the power and authority being entrusted to them.
Just last month, two dishonoured Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks who were implicated in a rape and robbery on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) were charged and dismissed from the Force.
It was reported that the female victim and her boyfriend were at the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground, Essequibo Coast, which is close to the GDF base, for an event and about 23:30h as they were enjoying an evening together, the two ranks – 22-year-old Rawlston Reid, of Doch Four Housing Scheme, East Coast

Demerara (ECD); and Isaiah Rawlins, 21, of Wisroc, Linden attacked the couple.
The soldiers reportedly dealt the young man several blows about his body, took away his money and gold chain, and demanded that his girlfriend have sex with them or else they would rape him.
They then allegedly took turns raping the woman as she wept bitterly and asked them to stop.
The young man had no choice but to watch his girlfriend being sexually assaulted. After the ordeal, the young couple reported the matter to the Police.
An identification parade was later held at the Suddie Police Station and the two perpetrators were positively identified by the victims.
The duo were however granted bail when they appeared at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court later last month in the sum of $300,000 each by Magistrate Esther Sam.