Jagdeo urges senior cops to petition court over COI findings

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Jagdeo urges senior cops to petition court over COI findings

Sep 21, 2017 News

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is of the opinion that the recently concluded Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger was nothing but a witch-hunt.
He said that if any attempt is made to use the findings of the Commission to impose any major shakeup in the force, affected officers should march to the courts.
Jagdeo said this in his capacity as General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) at a press conference he hosted at Freedom House yesterday.
Jagdeo, who is Leader of the Opposition, opined that the names of senior officers of the Guyana Police Force are being deliberately and unnecessarily dragged through the mud. He said that careers are being destroyed.
Jagdeo noted that the credibility of the COI is questionable, since it is headed by retired Assistant Commissioner, Paul Slowe who petitioned the court after a decision was made to transfer him during his tenure.
Jagdeo said that Slowe is an aggrieved party and therefore it is not unreasonable to think that he may have an axe to grind.
“So, Slowe went to the court just because he was transferred…These officers should go to the court, too, to block all of this and to question the COI and its motives,” said Jagdeo.
Jagdeo said that officers should take this route if there is any attempt to use the report to taint their professionalism and affect their careers.
“This is an outright witch hunt at its best and if we sit aside quietly and allow this to happen, the professionalism of the force will be destroyed,” said Jagdeo. He continued, “I wonder where those NGOS are now that used to be so vigilant about professionalism of the police force when this hatchet job is being done with a political motive.” Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, recently expressed his disappointment over the leaked report of the COI.
This came after media reports surfaced of recommendations emanating from the COI. The report was carried in the state-owned Guyana Chronicle on Sunday. It spoke of the COI recommending that Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum be relieved of duties because of his handling of the investigations.
The Minister, in a Government statement, said that the idea was to discuss the recommendations with the relevant authorities such as President Granger and members of Cabinet before it was released to the public.
Some of the recommendations in the report include the removal of Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, and sanctions against Assistant Commissioner, David Ramnarine.
The sanctions are as a result of the manner in which the above mentioned officers handled the investigation, according to the recommendations.
Minister Ramjattan said that before the recommendations are enforced, a more in-depth analysis of the findings must be conducted.
Additionally, the COI recommended that Deputy Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent of Police Rishi Das be removed from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and a replacement appointed.
The Minister noted that such recommendations coming out of the COI can have negative consequences on an institution.
The COI was reportedly handed over to President David Granger two weeks ago.
(Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell)

1 thoughts on “Jagdeo urges senior cops to petition court over COI findings”

Janet James September 21, 2017 at 5:14 pm

Blanhum deserves to be dismissed

Comments are closed.

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