By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News
The Guyana Police Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the Regional Security System (RSS) have completed their joint investigation into the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Ronaldo Peters in Linden and have since submitted the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
Meanwhile, the probe into the death of Keon Fagundes, who was killed during protests sparked by Peters’ shooting, remains ongoing. Authorities are currently interviewing additional witnesses.
AG Nandlall vs AFC’s Hughes
In the wake of growing public concern, Attorney General Anil Nandlall launched a sharp critique of AFC Leader and attorney Nigel Hughes, denouncing his remarks as “reckless” and “inflammatory.” According to Nandlall, Hughes’ public statements are undermining trust in the police investigation and inflaming public sentiment in a politically sensitive case.
“He [Hughes] doesn’t have the sense of maturity or presence of mind to be anywhere close to a government,” Nandlall stated during a press briefing.
But Hughes quickly fired back, standing firm in his criticism of the police investigating themselves, especially in a case where public confidence is already strained.
“To ask the people of Linden to trust the police to investigate themselves after a Commission of Inquiry said they shouldn’t—is unrealistic and unjust,” Hughes declared.
He further asserted that this marks the fifth police killing under similar circumstances and called for a truly independent investigative body, rather than the RSS or OPR.
In defense of the government’s handling of the case, the Attorney General highlighted that President Irfaan Ali personally met with Peters’ family and assured them that a professional and transparent investigation would be conducted.
“It is public knowledge that the president intervened and assured both the family and the nation of an independent probe,” said Nandlall.
He added that the administration has not ruled out compensation, but emphasized that such considerations must follow proper investigation and legal due process.
Calls for Long-Overdue Police Reforms
Hughes, in a separate statement, reiterated that “speaking truth about state violence is principled leadership”, not immaturity. He recalled the 2012 Linden protest killings, which also led to public outrage and a Commission of Inquiry in 2013. That commission had made several urgent recommendations, including:
- Establishing an independent investigative body for police killings
- Reforming use-of-force protocols
- Addressing perceptions of political interference in policing
- Implementing specialized crowd-control strategies
“To this day, none of those recommendations have been implemented,” Hughes lamented.
As public pressure mounts and the DPP deliberates on the investigation file, the nation watches closely to see whether this case will mark a turning point in police accountability and public trust in the justice system.
