(27 Jun 2004) **QUALITY AS INCOMING**
June 26, 2004
1. Body of cattle farmer George Bacchus being brought down stairs
2. Undertakers carrying body out of yard
3. Police standing outside yard
4. Crowd at fence of cattle farmer's house
5. Close up of George Bacchus' body
Recent File
6. Bacchus during recent TV interview
June 26, 2004
7. Bacchus' sister-in-law in crowd
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Henry Green, Deputy Police Chief:
"What we are sure about at this time is he received three shots to his body, and when we arrived it appeared that he had already been dead."
9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Winston Felix, Police Chief:
"Wherever, trust me, wherever this investigation takes us, we are going there."
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Robert Corbin, Opposition Leader:
"It also confirms what the PNC (People's National Congress) have been saying for the past weeks. That there is a death squad, that this man's life was threatened."
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Roger Luncheon, Cabinet Secretary:
"The Cabinet recognises this inveterate retort of the PNC in being reckless and provocative in attacking the administration."
12. Body being loaded into hearse
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Betty McCutchan, US Embassy Charge d'affaires:
"We have known for some time that witness protection is a problem. And this just underscores that much needs to be done to ensure the safety of people who want to come forward with information. This was never tested in a court of law. And that's really where these things need to be sorted out."
14. Various shots of Regent Street in Georgetown
STORYLINE:
Police in Guyana have detained more than a dozen people, including seven police officers, in connection with the killing of a cattle farmer whose allegations of a government-sponsored hit squad led to calls for an inquiry.
George Bacchus, who said he worked as an informant for the squad, was shot to death in his bed early on Thursday by at least one gunman.
He was supposed to testify next week against two men accused of killing his brother, Shafeek Bacchus on January 5.
Bacchus had said the death squad's members were angry with him for going on national television and alleging that a hit squad had been formed to hunt down criminals, and that his brother was killed in a shooting meant for him.
Police officers in custody include some named by Bacchus and relatives of those said to have been killed or abducted by alleged death squad members.
Among those questioned and released late on Friday were governing People's Progressive Party legislator Shirley Edwards and journalist Mike Gordon, an executive in the political party.
Bacchus, a 51-year-old cattle farmer, said Edwards and Gordon offered him 10 million Guyanese dollars (50,000 US dollars) to recant his claim that Interior Minister Ronald Gajraj was behind the death squad.
Gajraj, who strongly denies Bacchus' accusations, has said he would step down temporarily so the government can begin its inquiry.
The inquiry's start, however, has been delayed by disagreements over the choice of panel members.
The main opposition People's National Congress on Thursday called the killing a deliberate attempt to silence the man who prompted the inquiry.
Both the United States and Canada have revoked Garaj's tourist visas amid the controversy.
The London-based rights group Amnesty International condemned Bacchus' killing and called for a witness protection programme, saying authorities should do all they can "to protect individuals involved in investigations."
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