Police slam PSC for false statement
Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud
Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

THE GUYANA Police Force (GPF) has slammed what it referred to as a misleading statement by the Police Service Commission (PSC) regarding the suitability of some officers recommended for promotion.The GPF and the PSC became embroiled in disagreements just under a week ago, after the latter refused to approve the police promotions list in time for the New Year. The constitutional body had initially said that it received the list late, but this was quickly debunked by the police and, as such, the PSC subsequently raised a number of other issues, among them being that a rank recommended for promotion is on retirement leave, and that a few other officers were interdicted from official duty.

Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Omesh Satyanand
Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Omesh Satyanand

However, the GPF, in a statement, said that a perusal of the list of recommendations for promotion submitted to the PSC was conducted on Monday, and it was found that all officers, inspectors and sergeants recommended are performing duties currently. This means, the GPF says, “that the Chairman of the Police Service Commission misled the public when he made the statements that a rank recommended is on retirement leave and that a few ranks recommended were interdicted from official duty.”

“The Guyana Police Force also wishes to state that the Police Seniority List is just a list of all the ranks in an order that shows who is senior to whom. Should promotions be based on seniority alone, then there would be no need for recommendations, since all that would be required is to promote the most senior rank to fill the vacancy.”

The GPF also reiterated that the Police Act, Chapter 16:01, makes no mention of police appropriate qualifying examinations.

Last week, opposition spokesman Clement Rohee urged that the promotion of police ranks be put on hold due to a number of pending disciplinary matters, and the PSC did complied with his request. Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, in an immediate reaction, said the delay would impact negatively on the Guyana Police Force and its ranks.

Rohee had charged that, among other ranks, Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine had disciplinary matters pending -– a charge the GPF has dismissed, saying they do not know what the former Home Affairs Minister is talking about.

Rohee has had a longstanding battle with Ramnarine, and observers believe that this might have influenced his call.

Commissioner Seelall Persaud told a news conference at his office last Wednesday that a letter confirming the decision by the PSC to put on hold the promotions reached his desk late on Tuesday afternoon. He said the reason behind the move is unknown to the Guyana Police Force. The letter, according to the Top Cop, indicated that the promotion list would be announced on or before February 23, 2016.

The CoP said the Police Service Commission started interviewing persons since in October 2015, and all sergeants and officers have been interviewed. He said he does not know why the PSC has delayed the promotions, but he was quick to point out that there are former senior officers of the Force who now serve on the PSC, and they should know very well how such a delay would impact on the morale of the Force.

The Police Commissioner expressed grave disappointment at the delay in publishing the promotions. He said he was confident that his ranks felt the same way also, as they would have preferred to know whether they had been promoted, rather than not knowing at all.

The Police Service Commission is responsible for promoting senior police officers from the rank of Sergeant to that of Assistant Commissioner of Police. Rohee, in his call for the PSC to place the promotion of senior police officers on hold, had stated that this was necessary as the commission was investigating several disciplinary matters, including one with Ramnarine.

Rohee had also spoken about former magistrate Cecil Sullivan heading some dubious investigating team. Asked if the Force was aware of Sullivan’s role, Persaud reminded that responsibility for investigating police officers falls under the purview of the Police Complaints Authority.

“The only unit which investigates members of the Force is the Police Complaints Authority; I don’t know of any other. Former Magistrate Sullivan was appointed by I don’t know who. What he was doing is that the Police Service Commission is responsible for appointing and disciplining officers, from Inspectors to Assistant Commissioners. Now, the law says that they can have the commissioners do that, or they can ask the Police Force to do so. Mr. Sullivan does not fit anyway in there,” the top cop stated.

Persaud said it very unfortunate and very disappointing that all these issues are surfacing at a time when the promotions of the ranks are close.

 

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