President David Granger has hinted that the promotions made by Assistant Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, will remain in effect, despite protest by Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud.

Upon his return from vacation, Persaud ordered that that the decision by Ramnarine to promote six ranks recently be rescinded. But Ramnarine has challenged the police chief’s interpretation of the Constitution deeming it erroneous and embarrassing.

But according to President Granger, a person acting in a position, has to take action when it is needed. He said that the issue was discussed at the National Security Committee earlier this week and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan has been asked to investigate the complaints which were reported in the media.

“It is quite unseemly…for a matter such as that to be reported in the media. The Police Force is a hierarchy and the Commissioner of Police is the head of the Force and the Assistant Commissioner who was acting for him during a period of vacation obviously has to take authoritative actions on some matters, he just can’t sit on his hands. If problems need to be solved, he is there to solve the problems,” the President said.

The Commander in Chief, speaking on his weekly programme, ‘The Public Interest’ noted that the issue between the two men can have a negative impact on the morale of ranks in the Guyana Police Force.

“I do not believe that the problems are unsolvable and I can assure you that we are concerned about it, it can have an impact on morale of policemen and the public. If they see the major law enforcement agency being…victim of the type of high level quarreling, it can’t inspire confidence and it might…embolden people who feel that this is an opportunity to do mischief,” President Granger told journalists.

He expressed confidence in Minister Ramjattan to resolve the issue, noting that, “Everything that I have heard about the matter or read about the matter suggests that it is actually a storm in a tea cup.”

The ranks were all promoted for their outstanding performance at a drilling competition and a training course; and several senior officers who have taken umbrage with Persaud on the issue have pointed to a decision he had made in 2015 to promote two police ranks who had tortured a teenage boy in the course of a murder investigation at the Leonora Police Station in 2009.

The policemen and women at the centre of the Persaud/Ramnarine controversy were promoted while Ramnarine acted as Commissioner of Police when Persaud was on vacation leave.

In correspondence seen by this newspaper, between August 15th and October 1st, Ramnarine, performing duties as Commissioner of Police, promoted Corporal Wilburg to sergeant; and the following persons to corporal: Woman Lance Corporal 18997 Fraser; Lance Corporal 8749 Kuma, and Constable 18803 Craig.

Additionally, between August 3rd and September 26, 2016, Ramnarine promoted the following constables to Lance Corporal: 18495 Gray, 20521 Semple, 21759 Kesney, and 21825 Thomas.