…slams directive to dismiss disciplinary charges against officers

PRESIDENT of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis, has berated the Police Service Commission (PSC) for being contradictory and has issued a call for the general public to speak out against the constitutional body.

The life of the commission came to an end on September 3; however, the trade unionist believes that the commission has been “politically manipulated.”
Lewis was addressing the issue surrounding the decision by PSC Chairman Omesh Satyanand, who back in July ordered the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to dismiss charges recommended by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali– Hack against a number of officers.

The DPP and the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) retired Justice Cecil Kennard had recommended that disciplinary action be instituted against several ranks for various violations. However, the PSC countered those recommendations with a directive that the matters be dismissed.
Speaking on the matter, Lewis said the order speaks to the “thinking of the people of the commission and the quality of the thinking of the people of the commission” and added that society should come out against the body.

The PSC is said to be contradictory, since it did the very thing it accused President David Granger of doing. The commission had come out against the Head of State when he ordered it to delay until further notice, the promotion of several senior ranks. The commission had accused the President of impeding the work of the independent body. President Granger had later indicated that he requested the halting of the promotions so as to allow for an investigation to be carried out on some reports his office had received.

Meanwhile, sources said that the PSC might have acted outside its legal remit with the instruction to the GPF, especially since the DPP had already made its recommendation. However, Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine when contacted on Monday told the Guyana Chronicle that the service commission has over the years pointed the way forward on departmental charges.

“As long as it has pointed in that direction in writing, then the force acts in accordance with that directive,” Ramnarine told this publication. In the letter sent to the police commissioner, Satyanand listed the officers, their ranks, the nature of the matters, when the incidents occurred and the DPP’s recommendations.

Among the ranks are Senior Superintendent of Police Errol Watts, who was fingered in the alleged theft of fuel; Assistant Superintendent, Morris Fraser (Neglect of duty); Assistant Superintendent Johan Singh and W/ Inspector Hatty Anthony (four counts of neglect of duty respectively); Inspector Preston John (Neglect of Duty); Inspector Winston Watts ( disobeying a lawful order); W/ Inspector Althea Soloman (Neglect of duty); Inspector Godfrey Playter (Neglect of duty); W/ Inspector Cynthia Kelly (neglect of duty); Assistant Superintendent Chabinauth Singh (Neglect of duty); Inspector Suaj Singh (unlawful exercise of authority); W/ Inspector C. Layne and Inspector P. Persaud (neglect of duty); W/ Inspector Debbie Handy (neglect of duty), and Inspectors M. Grant, P. Persaud and D. Lowe (neglect of duty, absent from duty and late for duty, respectively).