Fire Chief granted bail for removing firefighter’s name from promotion list

Sep 14, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – Fire Chief, Kamaladeen Edoo, was yesterday placed on $10,000 bail for a private charge which was brought against him for allegedly removing the name of a firefighter from the entity’s promotion list.

Fire Chief, Kamaladeen Edoo

The Fire Chief appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, in the company of his lawyer, Sase Gunraj.
The private charge was brought against Edoo by firefighter Neville Cumberbatch. He was not required to plea to the indictable charge which alleges that in his role as the statutory and general superintendent of the GFS, he unlawfully discriminated against Cumberbatch by removing his name from a list of persons deemed eligible for consideration for promotion by former Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle, on January 29, 2021.
Cumberbatch alleges that his name was removed from the GFS promotion list on the basis of disciplinary infractions, whilst retaining on the same list persons who were guilty of equal and more egregious disciplinary infractions contrary to the provisions of Section 5 (2) (d) Prevention of Discrimination Act Cap. 99:08.
The Fire Chief’s lawyer made a bail application for his client to be released on self-bail. However, Principal Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus granted bail in the sum of $10,000 and the matter was adjourned to October 11, 2021.
Last month about 30 firefighters had threatened Edoo with Court action after their names were allegedly removed from the promotion list due to “disciplinary infractions” for which they were reportedly punished for years earlier. Cumberbatch is among the group of firefighters who through a lawyer, had written to the Fire Chief asking that he issue to the Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, the list of all officers who have passed the necessary examinations and are therefore eligible for promotions or face a “constitutional action for discrimination.” They had given the Fire Chief until Monday August 23, last to correct the issue but since this was not done, further action was taken.
This newspaper understands that some of the firefighters, who were removed from the list, were charged departmentally and/or had their pay deducted.

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