Latest update March 20th, 2025 3:47 AM
‘Ineligible’ police ranks promoted’
– Former assistant commissioner cites lack of proper due diligence
Kaieteur News – The recent promotion of officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is being called into question for a lack of proper due diligence which has led to a number of persons who are under discipline being elevated.
Retired Assistant Commissioners of Police Clinton Conway.
Retired Assistant Commissioners of Police, Clinton Conway criticised the list of officers who were approved for promotions calling it bloated and defective. The former officer who was also an immediate past member of the Police Service Commission (PSC)-the body responsible for sanctioning promotions within the GPF noted the speed at which, the list of some 250 members of the GPF was approved. Conway said the alacrity with which the promotions were handled is testament that no proper vetting of the names on the list was done by the current PSC.
Conway noted specifically that the recommended list was produced on Friday last and by Saturday the list was approved. He said: “This makes one wonders, was there any due diligence on the names of the persons listed for promotion?… And we know from experience that you can’t depend on the list coming from police headquarters because that list is usually padded and filled with names of cronies and friends of the higher ranks.”
The retired Assistant Commissioner stressed on the due diligence which is required before a final list for promotion is made. He said: “You can recall that this exercise would sometimes take weeks because we had to go through the list to see if any of them [the officer and ranks] had criminal matters pending etc…”
“Certainly, there was not enough time for the commission to look at individual files to check for among other things: nominees with disciplinary and other matters pending investigation; persons recently convicted for breaches of disciplinary offences; those who passed the appropriate qualifying examinations, seniority, education qualification, merit and ability, together with efficiency and experience; and to be guided by the principles of selection for promotion imbedded in the Public Service Commission Rules that are enshrined in Article 29 (1 – 3) of the Constitution.”
The retired policeman said, that the decision by the new PSC which is headed by Senior Pastor, Patrick Findlay is “a flagrant violation of the letter, spirit and intent of some of the most sacrosanct constitutional procedures.
According to Conway, a cursory look at the list of promotions revealed that there are many more irregularities. He noted that “several of the very senior officers promoted have disciplinary and other matters pending against them which the Chief Justice ruled is a bar to promotion; numerous super sessions without justification took place.”
“Of the twenty one officers who were elevated to superintendents, fifteen were assistant superintendents and one was an inspector an unprecedented move,” the retired officer added. According to Conway, the list of promoted officers also contained one sergeant who did not even write the qualifying examination. “…he was promoted to assistant superintendent; there were many other promoted ranks who did not pass or even write the examination; Sergeant Dameion Mc Lennon who was promoted to the rank of Cadet officer and who was under investigation in relation to the murder of Quindon Bacchus will be facing the Court on a criminal charge of attempt to obstruct the course of justice…” Conway added as he noted the irregularities contained in the promotion list.
No hindrance
Meanwhile, in responding to criticisms of the list, newly promoted Assistant Commissioner Calvin Brutus assured ranks that all efforts will be taken to ensure recent promotions not hindered by “sinister” actions. According to Brutus several newly promoted officers and ranks of the Guyana Police Force, some of their family members, relatives and friends, have raised concerns regarding the apparent impending legal challenges to the promotions released on July 3, 2022, by the current Police Service Commission and Administration of the Force. Brutus noted that in a democratic society, everyone alleging injustice is afforded equal access to the judicial organ of the State.
According to him, the recommendations for promotions focused on satisfying a large number of existing vacancies at all levels within the GPF which was left unsatisfied by the previous PSC. This led to the all-time low morale of members of the Force who were distressed about the seemingly infinite litigations concerning police promotions, Brutus said.
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