– President Jagdeo
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo has reiterated that, while there are ‘bad eggs’ in the Disciplined Forces, the image of the different sections must not be disparaged.

He was replying, in a television interview last week Tuesday, to questions about internal security as regards members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) having being involved in criminal activities and what measures are being put in place to monitor such behaviour and ensure disciplinary actions are enforced.

Speaking during the Cabinet outreach in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), the Commander-in-Chief disclosed that, the last time he spoke to Police Commissioner Henry Greene, he was told there were about 90 policemen before the Court.

“Ninety policemen in a force of about 3,000 people, it’s a lot. So, clearly when there are transgressions, the Police take some form of action,” President Jagdeo assured.

Conceded that there are bad eggs in the GPF and the Army, he said: “Some of them have committed criminal acts and you have people who are lazy, like everywhere else and you have people who will corrupt the Police Force and many other areas in society.

“The idea is to get those people out or changed without disparaging the entire Police Force or the Army and this is the difference between me and the Opposition,” President Jagdeo said.

“They see all of the policemen and soldiers as bad and criticise all of them. There are many hard working people in the Police and Army who, many times, put their lives on the line for us,” he pointed out.

The Head of State observed that, many times, people do not recognise the difficulties under which the Disciplined Forces operate.

“And, although we have raised the pay, it is still not that great,” he admitted, adding, however, that it is not an excuse for corruption.

“I keep saying, if you are not satisfied with the salary, leave the job and find something else that you can do,” the President reminded.

FIGHTING CRIMINALS
“But, whilst ensuring that we get the bad eggs out of the forces, we can recognise that policemen and soldiers are often on the frontline fighting criminals and these are the people we call upon when society is in danger. Yet we want to run them down for everything,” he remarked.

According to him: “We need tougher action and people have to come forward, too. Often people say, to me, I have been asked for a bribe and I ask who.”

He said similar problems are evident at Customs, “where some of the businessmen, they get involved with the officers, bribe them because both sides get benefit and, sometimes, it goes sour and then they say they have been asked for a bribe and they don’t want to say who.”

“So, we still have a lot of work more to do in a lot of these areas and I expect the managers to do a better job. If you are running a hospital or a Police station or a school, then you have to assume greater responsibility and this is what I am hoping will happen this year and in the future.”

Referring to polygraph testing, President Jagdeo said: “I know some people think we are too tough because no country in Latin America has polygraphed…has put all of their drug enforcement officers through it and extended it not just to CANU (Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit) but to Police and the airport twice in six months.”

He recalled that all the CANU people were polygraphed twice and those who failed the lie detector test have been fired and replaced.

“We were criticised for it. People thought we were taking too tough an action against people and yet, on the other hand, they say the Government is supporting corruption with drug dealers etc,” the President observed.