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Benn shields Hicken from accounting for his stewardship
—talks up ‘achievements’ of scandal-tarred police force
Kaieteur News- Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, at a press-conference on Monday shielded Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, amid questions about the police multi-million-dollar fraud scandal that happened under his watch.
In response to a question directed at Hicken about why he chose to remain ‘top cop’ when a huge, multi-million-dollar fraud was alleged to have occurred under his watch, Benn chose to respond. “The question may be posed to me as to why I opted to remain,” Benn said.
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn at Monday’s press conference
Hicken was one of the heads of law-enforcement agencies sitting at the head table of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ end-of-year press-conference, which was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Georgetown.
Journalist Dennis Chabrol attempted to grill the recently appointed top cop about the fraud scandal, which allegedly involves embattled Assistant Commissioner of Police, Calvin Brutus. However, Benn did not allow it.
“Minister, through you, can the Commissioner of Police please say why is it he opted to be retained given the fact of this huge multi-million fraud in the police force under his watch?” Chabrol asked, before asking if other police ranks were implicated in the ongoing investigation.
Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken sat at the head table but was not permitted to answer any question directed to him.
As Benn was about to answer, the journalist followed up asking, “Could the Police Commissioner please answer Minister? Is it possible?”
“No, no, no sir,” Benn responded while his Permanent Secretary, Andre Ally chipped in: “This is the Ministers’ press conference.”
Benn responded first to the second question on the progress of the ongoing fraud investigation and had to be reminded to answer the first question posed about Hicken choosing to remain police chief despite the fraud charges.
Benn began by telling the journalist that the question should have been posed to him and not Hicken before explaining for nine minutes why he opted to remain Minister with purview over the Police force and other law-enforcement agencies.
“I believe, and as I said the last time, unless I am told that I am no longer wanted, I believe that I can still contribute to securing our country, increasing peace in our country,” Benn said. “The statistics that we have shown over the years have shown that we have been very successful. There have been a few hurdles and bumps along the road,” Benn added.
He argued that in very large organisations like those in his portfolio “things happen”. “There are challenges along the way, issues you have to deal with…the planning and awareness in relation to your strategic plans and resorts to improve services…”
The Minister continued that another mantra of his Ministry and agencies, is “to follow issues of continuous improvement”.
Benn said that despite the challenges, the statistical improvement under his leadership is moving in the right direction.
Following the recent fraud scandal that left Brutus facing over 200 criminal charges, there have been speculations that other top ranking police officials might be involved too.
However only Brutus his wife, his driver, two businessmen and a woman police sergeant have been charged for financial crimes in the matter. Benn, while giving an update on Monday said, “The chips will fall wherever they may as the investigation goes along the way.” Brutus is out on bail totalling $17.25 million for some 252 charges. Initial reports before he was charged revealed that he had eight bank accounts belonging to himself and his wife Adonika Aulder amounting to $500 million. He also had assets worth $300 million. The bank accounts have since been frozen.
(Benn shields Hicken from accounting for his stewardship )
- Clifton Hicken, Commissioner of Police, Home Affairs Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs, multi-million-dollar fraud
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