Chief-of-Staff given 14 days to respond to suing army officers

Mar 20, 2013 News

Chief-of Staff Commodore Gary Best has been given two weeks to respond to a lawsuit pertaining to the non-payment of bonuses which were granted to members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) by President Donald Ramotar last December. State Prosecutor Pritima Kissoon made the 14-day request on behalf of Commodore Best before Chief Justice Ian Chang at the High Court yesterday.
Representing the plaintiffs; Major (ag) Lesley Ramlall; Captain Rono Joseph; Captain Harold Fraser and Coast Guard Lieutenant André Cush, is Attorney-at-law Abiola Wong-Inniss, who had no difficulty with Kissoon asking for leave to file an affidavit in response.
The Chief of Staff did not attend yesterday’s proceedings. The parties will return to court on April 2.

Army Chief-of Staff, Commodore Gary Best

The four officers in their complaint to the court have charged that the Chief of Staff has been unreasonable, unlawful and unfair in his action to withhold their bonuses. Best had taken a position subsequent to the President’s announcement, to withhold the bonus of soldiers who had disciplinary action taken against them in 2012. Over 100 were said to have been affected.
The senior army men have however claimed that other officers received their bonuses, despite there being matters against them. Ramlall and Fraser stated that during 2012, there were no charges instituted against them. Ramlall said that in January 2013 he was charged with respect to allegations pertaining to the performance of his duties while attached to GDF Credit Union in 2011, but those charges were never determined.
Joseph said that administrative action was taken against him in 2012 for what was referred to as “inappropriate relationship with a female”. Cush said he was charged for insubordinate behavior in 2012, but is yet to be prosecuted. The officers further said that they were never formally told about their incentives being withheld, neither were they afforded the opportunity to be heard on the issue.
Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon stated last week during a post-Cabinet press conference that in the case of the decision by the President, “it had never been elevated to the level of an across the board measure…it has never been; it is a discretion that is exercised after the review of annual performances of the joint services.”
Officers and other ranks of joint service organizations such as the Fire Service, Police and Prisons have indicated that they are paying keen attention to the issue and are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the court action. Several senior officers related that never before have their agencies withheld any of the bonus payments from any staff member for whatever reason and they believe that the ruling of the court could have a significant impact on how their organizations treat the matter of the annual one-month bonus payment in the future.