– accuses it of engaging in concocted and ‘cut and paste’ journalism
HOME Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee has exposed the sinister ploy and ‘wicked’ attempt by the privately owned Kaieteur News to drive a wedge between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police Force. Rohee, in a ‘blazing guns’ statement yesterday, accused the Kaieteur News of engaging in mischievous, wicked  and divisive ‘cut and paste’ journalism, concocted and contrived to mislead the public in general and, in this specific case, ranks of the Guyana Police Force.
Following is the full text of Minister Rohee’s statement in which he also accused the Kaieteur News of having “a political agenda” against the Government of Guyana:
The Kaieteur News is at mischief making once again. This time it has embarked on a ploy aimed at driving a wedge between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police Force.
This is not the first time Kaieteur News has attempted this mischievous enterprise. Suffice it to say, all previous attempts failed primarily because the stories were concocted and contrived to mislead the public in general and, in this case, ranks of the Guyana Police Force.
At a meeting with senior representatives of the Guyana Police Force and Divisional Executives of the Community Policing Organisation, I said it was frustrating to learn from time to time about the unprofessional and disdainful manner with which members of Community Policing Groups are treated at some Police Stations.

I referred to the position of senior ranks of the Force and more particularly at the Annual Police Officers’ Conference where senior officers have consistently declared in favour of Government’s policy in respect to the role and place of Community Policing as an integral part of Government’s crime fighting strategy.
I emphasized that since this is the position at the top echelons of the Force then it must be so at the bottom of the organisation and therefore such treatment meted out to members of the Community Policing Groups at that level is unacceptable.
I went on to speak about my role as a politician and Minister of Home Affairs to represent the interests of the Guyanese people. I pointed out that I know that because of the positions I adopted as a Minister of Government since 1992, there are people “out there” who are waiting to kick my ass and that I intend to kick ass knowing this to be the case.
As would be read by any reasonable person, the statement was directed at the critics (“people out there”) of Government’s policies on Security and Public Order. The Statement was not particularlized to the Guyana Police Force in no way whatsoever as the Kaieteur News sought to mischievously make out. “People out there” is quite different and not the same as ranks of the Guyana Police Force.
It is interesting to note that when former Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix made his contribution to the 2012 Budget Debate in the National Assembly he stated;
“Bribery and corruption were rampant features in the Guyana Police Force”.
As is typical of the Kaieteur News, it solicited the views of ranks in relation to my statement notwithstanding the fact that Felix’s statement can be considered more damaging to the image of the Force than the Minister of Home Affairs’ statement.
But the Kaieteur News has a political agenda vis-à-vis the Government of Guyana and this episode demonstrates another attempt to cause division and confusion within the ranks of the Guyana Police Force.
If it is true, it is unfortunate that some ranks of the Guyana Police Force have allowed themselves to be misled by another concocted story by Kaieteur News they never sought to establish the facts by seeking clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs which is now a stone’s throw away from the Force Headquarters.
I strongly deny any assertion or allegation that I used threats against any Police Officer or members of the Force on the day in question or on any other occasion.
While it is true that I may have had differences of opinion with the police from time to time, those matters have always been resolved amicably with the interest of this country being uppermost in our minds.
The Minister of Home Affairs finds it necessary to expose this wicked, divisive ‘cut and paste’ piece of journalism by the Kaieteur News.
The Ministry of Home Affairs remains, as it has always been, committed to working with the Guyana Police Force to keep at the highest level possible, the safety and security of the citizens of Guyana.