The funeral of Edmond Cooper, the hypocrisy of some

Feb 18, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

It appears as though the high command of the Guyana Police Force and the Ministry of Home Affairs have mastered the art of hypocrisy. On Friday, February 10, 2023, I went to the Police Sports Club, Eve Leary to pay my respect to the earthly remains of former Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper and to express words of comfort to members of his bereaved family at his funeral. I received a big shock. There was a ceremonial funeral in progress for Edmond Cooper. Present at the funeral was the Minister of Home Affairs who, in 2020, had communicated with Nigel Hoppie who was performing the duties of Commissioner of Police to proceed with criminal charges against Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper and several other senior police officers when there was no evidence against them. This was an effort to prevent the Police Service Commission from promoting them because they had criminal matters pending against them, according to the Minister of Home Affairs.To date no one was charged.

The following were also there:  the acting Commissioner of Police, senior officers, junior officers and other ranks were present. They were decked out in their ceremonial uniform. Also on show were the Guyana Police Force Military Band MS, Police Mixed Voice Choir, the firing, mourning, bearing and escort parties as detailed in the acting Commissioner’s Special Operational Order dated February 6, 2023. The Minister of Home Affairs and the acting Commissioner of Police paid glowing tribute to Cooper. That was hypocrisy at its best. The funeral arrangements shocked me because I am aware that a ceremonial funeral is held exclusively for a member of the Force who died while serving, not former or retired members of the Force. Did the police or Home Affairs unlawfully tweak the well-established protocol in relation to funeral of serving, retired, and former members of the GPF?

Cooper was a civilian at the time of his death. According to the police official records – Force Orders 47/2022 dated December 2, 2022 approval was given for Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper to retire from the Guyana Police Force on medical grounds with effect from December 1, 2022. Was this announcement high class efficiency, or was it intended to quickly get rid of Cooper? Imagine according to the police, Cooper was found medically unfit with effect from December 1, 2022 and the Force Orders publication was made on December 2, 2022. Therefore, he ceased to be a member of the Force and was not entitled for a ceremonial funeral.

There are many issues and concerns about the publication in the Force Orders in relation to the retirement on medical grounds of Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper and what took place at his funeral. Did the police follow the established procedure prior to Cooper being medically boarded and after the Medical Board recommended that Cooper was medically unfit for the job? Was the not lawfully and duly constituted Police Service Commission led by a Bishop and other key players including Cooper informed of the recommendations of the Medical Board?  If as a matter of fact, the unlawful Police Service Commission had acted it would have been in flagrant violation of the sacrosanct ruling of the Hon. acting Chief Justice. The Hon. acting Chief Justice ruled that the current Police Service Commission is not lawfully and duly constituted unless the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission is appointed a member of the Police Service Commission, and that the Commission in its present state cannot carry out any function of the Commission. There is no Public Service Commission. Hence, no Chairperson.

Did the high command of the Guyana Police Force usurp the powers of the Police when it published that Cooper was medically unfit for duty? The power to remove from office any member of the police Force holding the rank from inspector to assistant commissioner is the sole responsibility the Police Service Commission as enshrined in article 212 (3) of the Constitution of the Co- operative Republic of Guyana. Is it that the police after realising that they were wrong to pronounce Cooper medically unfit decided to hold a ceremonial funeral for him as a senior superintendent of police?  Is it true that the police will rescind Force Orders 47/2022 in relation to the retirement of Edmond Cooper on medical grounds? Is it that the holding of a ceremonial funeral for Edmond Cooper was a horrible attempt by the police to coverup or make amends for the unprofessional and unethical way they treated him while he was serving? Why the Commander, Regional Police Division 3, did not provide smooth and orderly interment arrangements at Best Cemetery?  It was total chaos at that burial ground. The cameras do not lie.

There are numerous other burning questions that are crying out for answers. However, I think that this is a good point for me to stop. May God help the Guyana Police Force.

Yours sincerely,

Clinton Conway

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ret’d)

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• Clinton Conway, Edmond Cooper., Guyana Police Force, Ministry of Home Affairs, Police Sports Club

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