Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, has stated that Guyana is exempt from releasing the report on the fatal Guyana Defence Force (GDF) helicopter crash due to confidentiality protections surrounding national security matters.
“It was a military operation, it was not a civilian flight,” Indar emphasized during his contribution to the 2026 Budget Debate on Thursday night. “Because it is a national security issue, it is exempted.”
The tragic crash occurred in December 2023 and resulted in the deaths of five servicemen: Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, Colonel Michael Shahoud, Retired Brigadier Gary Beaton, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome, and Warrant Officer Class 2 Jason Khan. All were part of a seven-member crew aboard the army’s Bell 412 helicopter.
Earlier in the debate, Opposition Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir expressed concern that Guyana might be violating the Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO) by not making the crash report public. While acknowledging potential national security implications, she maintained that the report should be disclosed.
Indar countered her argument, noting that while ICAO mandates the publication of incident investigation reports, the Chicago Convention allows for confidentiality in cases involving national security. He referenced Annex 13 of the ICAO Convention, which includes provisions for non-disclosure.
Following Indar’s statements, Terrence Campbell of the APNU raised concerns regarding previous government commitments to publicize the report, questioning the apparent reluctance to share it now.
In related developments, Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan has assured that all recommendations and findings from the internal investigation into the crash have been acted upon. “All the recommendations, all the findings of our internal investigation have been acted upon,” Brigadier Khan stated during a press conference in May 2025.
The lack of a public report continues to be a source of contention among opposition lawmakers and the public, as many seek closure on this tragic incident.
