Jagdeo accuses Govt. of ‘hatchet job’ on Police Top Brass

Jan 22, 2018 News

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…says unbelievable level of political interference

The temporary appointment of Assistant Commissioner and Crime Chief, Paul Williams to Acting Commissioner of Police is being viewed as part of the coalition Government’s plan to overhaul the top brass of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), which is in keeping with a recommendation from the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report into the alleged assassination attempt on the President.
But that’s not the way that former President Bharrat Jagdeo is seeing things. He’s accusing the government of doing a ‘hatchet job’ on the Force’s top brass.
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo warned that political inference is afoot as President David Granger prepares to appoint the next Commissioner of Police when Persaud retires in April.
“I have been hearing lots about who they want and how they are manipulating the system to get that person in place. We are seeing an unbelievable level of interference in the police force,” Jagdeo told Kaieteur News.
Last week, Williams was appointed in the absence of acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine, who was overseas on official duty. Ramnarine returned on Friday and had been performing the duties of Commissioner because Seelall Persaud, the substantive holder of the post, was sent on additional leave in December ‘until further notice’.
Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan wrote to Persaud to inform him of his additional leave in November. Persaud was off the job since July, last. On Saturday, the Minister confirmed that Persaud returns to office today.
In the midst of it all, Assistant Commissioner, Maxine Graham performed the duties of Administration, the post that Ramnarine held before he became Acting Commissioner.

In appointing Williams, the most senior officer, Assistant Commissioner and head of operations, Clifton Hicken, was bypassed. Under the structure of the force, Hicken, although senior to Graham, was obligated to report to her.
Some observers believe that the recent moves are a direct reflection of the Government’s intention to shake-up the top brass of the force.
Last week President David Granger made light about the current position of the force when he referred to Williams as “acting for the acting Commissioner.”
The CoI, headed by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe, recommended that Persaud should be made to resign as Commissioner under such terms and conditions that the President considers appropriate.
According to the CoI, a ‘hostile’ relationship existed between Persaud and Ramnarine. This allegedly led to divisions among the officer corps of the force.
Aside from Persaud and Ramnarine, the report identified Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken and Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum, who was also Acting Crime Chief, as “the main protagonists,” who “lack the professionalism to lead the Force in this touted period of reform and transition.”
The report described the rift as a most unwelcome development, while concluding that everything must be done to stamp it out.
Neither the President nor Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan would admit that the administration is carrying out the recommendations of the CoI report.
While Persaud was on leave, Blanhum was removed as Crime Chief. Many felt that this was as a direct result of the recommendations of the CoI report.

“I predicted what would have been Paul Slowe’s report,” Jagdeo told Kaieteur News.
“I said he [Paul Slowe] was placed there to do a hatchet job on members of the police force and to cleanse the upper leadership to clear the way for someone that the President wants and that is precisely what he did and the Government is following through.”
Jagdeo concluded that the current Government has contributed to the significant decline in the morale of the force and uncertainty among officers because they have interfered like never before in the operations of the police force.
He stated that the Government has also compromised their effectiveness to solve crimes by diverting the police’s attention to frivolous issues.
“I saw junior Ministers now with police escorts around town. Ministers never had police escorts in the past. Junior Ministers now having security personnel along with their drivers. That never happened under the PPP. Due to constant interference, they have the police focused more on security for ministers, on public statements and not on solving crime itself.

FACED SIMILAR ACCUSATIONS
But is this a proverbial case of “the pot calling the kettle black?” Jagdeo and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) were previously accused of political interference in the operations of the joint services. Regardless of the accusations, Jagdeo stated that the most senior officer was always appointed Commissioner.
In the case of former Commissioner, Winston Felix, Jagdeo said that he was among four persons identified to succeed Floyd McDonald. According to Jagdeo, Felix, who is now Minister of Citizenship in the coalition government, emerged as the leading candidate at the end of a high-level training programme overseas.

“At every level, it was the most senior person who went in. I then appointed [the late] Henry Green, although the Americans didn’t want him appointed. I said unless you can give me good reasons for him not to be appointed, he will be because he is the most senor person there. There was not a political consideration. We did not do a political litmus test. Look where Felix is now. All along he may have been PNC and the same thing with Eddie Collins (former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force) who I appointed,” Jagdeo stated.
It was under former Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj that accusations were brought against the PPP of a heavy-handed interference in the operations of the force.
Jagdeo said that a Commission of Inquiry cleared Gajraj although he subsequently resigned the post.
“In the 23 years of the PPP I saw a very different approach,” Jagdeo noted.

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