Calvin Brutus leads senior police promotions list

Jul 04, 2022 News

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– Cooper, Azore left behind

Kaieteur News – The new Police Service Commission has announced the promotion of several senior officers including Calvin Brutus and Fazil Karimbaksh who had previously challenged the elevation of others because their names were not on that list.

Scores of junior ranks were also elevated in rank. Brutus and Karimbaksh are among eight senior superintendents who have been elevated to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). The others include crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, Ravindradat Budhram, Mahendra Siwnarine, Errol Watts, Khali Pareshram and Kurleigh Simon.

Those promoted to Senior Superintendents are: Khalid Mandall, Mahendra Singh, Dion Moore, Shivpersaud Bacchus, Boodnarine Persaud, Ramesh Ashram, Hugh Winter, Raphael Rose, Jermaine Johnson, Himnauth Sawh, and Amit Das. Notably two senior ranks who were on the list prepared by previous commission to be promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police were not part of this new list. They are: Senior Superintendent of Police, Edmond Cooper and Senior Superintendant of Police, Phillip Azore.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the police communications unit said the announcement of the promotions was made by Acting Commissioner of Police Mr. Clifton Hicken during remarks he made at the conclusion of Sunday’s Route March as part of the GPF’s 183rd Anniversary celebrations. “It is apt to note that the Force’s administrative and operational capabilities [were] greatly affected due to the absence of promotion. Other issues need to be considered as well such as the fact that 28 senior members of the Force retired between 2020-2021 inclusive of the substantive Commissioner of Police, two Deputy Commissioners, and four Assistant Commissioners,” the statement read.

“This is exacerbated by the retirement of six senior members so far for 2022, and the impending retirement of nine others by December, 2022. This tenuous situation will be compounded because ten members of the Force are scheduled to retire in January of 2023 inclusive of one Deputy Commissioner, and three superintendents,” the statement added. As a consequence of this promotion, “the Guyana Police Force’s capacity will be enhanced at the strategic, tactical and operational levels which will improve the service delivered to the public and adherence to police regulations.”

The announcement of the promotions yesterday came on the heels of Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, and former Chairman of the PSC, Paul Slowe filing court actions to High Court Judge, Justice Gino Persaud for an injunction to halt any promotion of members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) by the new PSC until his challenge to President Irfaan Ali’s suspension of the former PSC is completed.

According to court documents, Attorneys-at-Law Selwyn A. Pieters, Dexter Todd and Dexter Smart filed the motion on behalf of Slowe, in the Demerara High Court. Those listed as the respondents are Secretary of the PSC, Commissioner of Police (Ag) Clifton Hicken, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, and Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C.

On August 9, 2018, Slowe, Clinton Andrew Conway, Vesta Geneva Adams, and Claire Alexis Jarvis were appointed to the PSC by then President, David Granger. On June 16, 2021, President Ali suspended the commission and the following month, the suspended members filed a legal action by means of a fixed date application, against the President, challenging their suspension.

In March Justice Gino Persaud, in the Demerara High Court handed down a decision that the challenge to Ali’s suspension can proceed. Notably the substantive matter is yet to be completed in court.

On May 31, last the Head of State swore in three new members of the PSC and on Friday the final member was sworn in. According to Slowe’s court filing, he is seeking the injunction to restrain the PSC and the respondents from promoting or publishing a promotions list for members of the GPF, until the substantive matter filed herein is heard, completed and judgment is made and entered by the sitting judge – an order that each party bears his own costs in this Application – and any other order the court may deem just.

One ground listed for the challenge notes that as part of the duties of the PSC, the previous members had drafted a list of 132 police officers to be promoted to various ranks in the GPF and sent that list to the Secretary of the PSC to have it transmitted to the Commissioner of Police, for the promotions to be effected. It was further stated that the promotions list was not sent by the Secretary of the PSC and as such the promotion of the Police Officers was not done.

Another listed ground for the application is that the injunction that is being sought will assist in preserving the status quo of the proceedings and that of the GPF.

It was stated that should the injunction not be granted and the new PSC be allowed to promote members of the force, there will be inevitable difficulty at the end of the proceedings. It was also stated “that should this injunction not be granted and the Police Service Commission be allowed to promote members of the Guyana Police Force, and this matter is subsequently completed and the previous promotions on the past list is effected, there will be inevitable issues as to which officers are of a higher rank, than others.”

It was suggested too, that if the promotions were to be backdated then there will be future problems as to who will be entitled to be commanders and even Commissioner. According to the document the granting of the orders sought, will assist in the preserving of the status quo and ensuring that the new PSC do not act in a manner prejudicial to those officers named in the previous promotions list of June 28, 2021.

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