Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
Chief of Staff has discretion in bonus payments – Defence Board says
The Guyana Defence Board has backed Commodore Gary Best in his decision to withhold annual bonuses from ranks under his command, citing that withholding soldiers’ bonuses is at the discretion of the army head as a disciplinary measure.
In a response to a lawsuit brought against the Chief of Staff for the non-payment of annual
Commodore Gary Best
bonuses, Commodore Best was asked to reply to the legal action brought against him by Major (ag) Lesley Ramlall; Captain Rono Joseph; Captain Harold Fraser and Coast Guard Lieutenant André Cush, who is being represented by Attorney-at-law Abiola Wong-Inniss.
It’s alleged that the whole saga started when Major (ag) Ramlall was denied his bonus because he had court proceedings brought against him within the GDF. In Ramlall’s lawsuit against the Chief of Staff, he said that in January he was charged following allegations pertaining to the performance of his duties while he was attached to the GDF Credit Union in 2011, but the charges were undetermined.
In that said document, Ramlall along with the other suing officers charged that while the Chief of Staff was withholding the bonuses of soldiers who had disciplinary action brought against them in 2011, none of the officers in this matter had any brushes with GDF authorities during the stated period, thus making the Chief -of -Staff’s action void.
It was for the alleged disciplinary action in 2011, that the Chief of Staff decided to withhold the soldiers’ bonuses.
Apart from the bonus issue, Major (ag) Ramlall also filed court proceedings to have legal representation during his period before military courts and to suspend his probation from the force’s credit union. Kissoon has however responded to this matter stating that according to military procedures in the United Kingdom, it was advised by the army’s legal advisor, Major (Hon) Melissa Yearwood-Stewart, that legal representation for Ramlall was allowed to observe the proceeding and advise the accused, but no participation in the actual proceedings was allowed.
All parties will however return to court on April 18 when the applicants are expected to reply to the Chief -of-Staff.
Commodore Best, however, ended up before the courts over claims that his action to withhold bonuses was arbitrary, unlawful and without cause. Over 100 officers were said to have been affected.
The Guyana Defence Board has however cited that the army head has the right to determine who would access the Presidents annual bonus, since the sums meant for the varying forces were not handed over by the President with stipulations.
The matter has however caused a huge stir as other ranks of joint service organizations such as the Fire Service, Police and Prisons have indicated their interest in the outcome. Several senior officers related that never before had their agencies withheld any of the bonus payments from any staff member for whatever reason, and the court proceeding may very well have implications for future bonus allocations.
Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, had also stated during one of his weekly press briefings 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.”
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