GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Jun 7, CMC – The Guyana police Tuesday said they had detained six people in connection with a live grenade that was found near the Kaieteur News newspaper over the last weekend.

“Relative to the investigation into the grenade attack at Kaieteur News, detectives from the Guyana Police Force after reviewing surveillance footage have detained a motor car matching the description and six suspects,”  the police said in a statement.

It said the suspects were arrested at several locations in Sophia, South Georgetown and its environs.

“We want to thank the public for coming on board to share information to bring closure to this incident. We are optimistic that we will bring closure,” Commander for ‘A’ Division, Assistant Commissioner, Clifton Hicken told the Demerara Waves Online News.

He said the driver of a car, which was found abandoned shortly after the grenade was seen on Saturday night, admitted that the car was not hijacked but was loaned to a friend. The police officer said the owner of the car has named the person to whom the car was loaned.

The announcement by the police comes a few hours after the Guyana Press Association (GPA) called on law enforcement authorities to conduct an “in-depth investigation” into the matter.

Police said that the device was found last Saturday night near a vehicle owned by the newspaper’s publisher, Glenn Lall, where colleagues had gathered to pay respects to journalist, Dale Andrews, who had on Saturday.

“Regardless of the motive, the act alone has a chilling effect on press freedom. We take this opportunity to call on the intellectual authors and/or perpetrators to desist from such a dastardly act,” the GPA said.
“All stakeholders in the international community, opposition, government and civil society must speak out against what seems like a calculated act to intimidate the work of Kaieteur News.

“The media in Guyana must be allowed to carry out its crucial work of being society’s watchdog, ensuring transparency and efficacy in state and the private sector, without frightening distractions like these,” it added.