– Rohee

HOME Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, yesterday noted that disciplinary action against police ranks, alleged to have been involved in the brutal sexual baton assault of 23-year-old Colwyn Harding, will depend on the recommendations of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).Rohee pointed out that acts that are inimical to the Guyana Police Force and bring it into disrepute have in the past attracted internal charges and present day cases will not be treated differently.
“Not because an officer is transferred, he will not be charged if the action so merits,” Minister Rohee said in reference to the transfer of eight ranks from the Timehri Police Station.
The officer who is alleged to have committed the act, Constable 19175 Devin Mahendra Singh, remains under close arrest.

DISPASSIONATE ANALYSIS
Rohee noted that there should be no rush to judgment until the necessary investigations are completed and the reports are filed.
He said, “This is turning out to be a little more complicated than it appears on the surface…we need not rush to judgment, but let the investigation be concluded, the medical reports submitted.
“….let all the facts be at our disposal so that a dispassionate analysis can be made…from what has been said so far by the Minister of Health, the Police Force, the doctors and the victim himself, if we are to look at it dispassionately…when you look at all of it, it is turning out to me to be more complex.
“It is not a black and white area, there are grey areas…we need to keep our eyes on those grey spots to understand the issue.
“It is an allegation…allegations are fast and furious some days. It is not unusual for someone to make an allegation.”
Asked if he was questioning the authenticity of Harding’s allegation, Minister Rohee made it clear that there is nothing wrong with questioning an allegation.
“I am not beginning to question the allegation. There is no beginning and end until we have all the facts at our disposal,” Rohee added.

WEAK AREAS
The minister acknowledged that “proper supervision” and discipline at police stations are weak areas in the operations of the Force.
Rohee said, “At every one of those conferences (Police Officer Conferences), which take place on an annual basis, I make reference to the issue of supervision.
“At every one of the graduating classes of the Force, I make reference to the issue of supervision because I know it (proper supervision) is one of the weak areas of the Guyana Police Force.”
According to him, the incidents that breach professional conduct by ranks are not due to a lack of policy, but to a breakdown in enforcement.
Minister Rohee said, “People think the ministry has been lacking and not giving forewarning to the hierarchy of the Police Force to look out for these things. …we will have to continue at a policy level saying these things over and over and over, like a mantra.
“But the fact is there will be people who don’t give a swat to the things coming out of politicians’ mouths, but it will be to their detriment if and when they were to do that. It will come back to haunt them…these things (the need for proper supervision and discipline) must be taken seriously.”
Rohee added that the case had not been reported to his ministry and the first time he became aware of the incident was when it was made public in the local media.

(By Vanessa Narine )