The government is moving to expand Guyana’s forensic testing capabilities, with plans to conduct more ballistics and toxicology examinations locally as part of efforts to strengthen criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond, during an appearance on the ‘Starting Point’ podcast on Sunday, said limited local testing capabilities have affected criminal cases in the past.
“Many times, in some cases, because we didn’t have the capacity to test a particular ballistic, a particular weapon, or to test for a specific drug, the cases have all faltered,” Walrond said.
According to the minister, additional capacity is being developed at the forensic laboratory to reduce Guyana’s dependence on overseas facilities for the examination of evidence.
The improvements are expected to include greater capacity for ballistics testing, which is used in the examination of firearms evidence, as well as toxicology analysis to identify drugs and other substances.
The initiative forms part of a wider effort to improve the handling of criminal matters from the investigative stage through to prosecution.
Walrond disclosed that approximately 500 police ranks have already received training in processing evidence.
Attention is also being placed on strengthening the prosecution of cases before the courts.
The government, with assistance from the Attorney General’s Chambers, is supporting legal training for police prosecutors. While some prosecutors are already qualified attorneys, other ranks are receiving government scholarships to pursue legal studies, including the Legal Education Certificate.
The aim is to strengthen the ability of police prosecutors to properly present evidence and cases before the courts and improve the prospects of successful prosecutions.
