Retired

…Justices Cecil Kennard, Prem Persaud to leave office by March

THE services of Chairmen of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) and the Public Utilities

Commission (PUC) Justices Cecil Kennard and Prem Persaud respectively are coming to an end as both are expected to retire by the end of March.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that the administration considered the age of both men who are approaching 80 or have already attained it. The distinguished retired jurists have been employed by the State for years, with Kennard a retired Chancellor of the Judiciary being at the helm of the PCA since 2001. This publication understands that both men were appointed and served with open contracts which allows for their termination at any point.
In the case of Justice Kennard, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday that the former Chancellor will retire next month.

“He is going…he would be leaving at the end of February,” said Ramjattan, under whose

purview the PCA falls; he noted that Justice Kennard has served in the post for a long time.
Asked about likely candidates for the post, Minister Ramjattan said he is not the person to speak to that, as President David Granger will select the next Chairman of the PCA.
The PCA was established by the Police Complaints Authority Act in 1989 under former President Hugh Desmond Hoyte’s administration to be an independent investigative institution, which would receive complaints from members of the public about alleged criminal offences committed by members of the Guyana Police Force.

However, the PCA has never functioned with full autonomy in accordance with the functions prescribed by the PCA Act. The body is neither independent nor investigative, as it relies on the government through the Ministry of Public Security for staff and financing and is also dependent on the Guyana Police Force for the conduct of investigations.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, has confirmed the retirement of Justice Persaud. She told the Guyana Chronicle that the outgoing chairman of the PUC is nearing 80 years of age and the time has come for him to retire.

She denied that he was sacked and said, “No, not let go. He is retiring; he is close to 80 years old and will retire soon. We are in transition and he will retire by March 2017.”
Minister Hughes said Justice Persaud’s contribution over the years is valued not only by her, but by the administration.
“I have spoken with him and he will always be a mentor to the organisation,” Minister Hughes added.
The Public Telecommunications Minister said candidates will be explored in the coming weeks and an announcement made at the appropriate time. The PUC is a body established by the Public Utilities Commission Act No.26 of 1990, which came into effect on October 1, 1990. The legislation was subsequently amended thrice; in 1991, 1994 and 1999.

The commission consists of a chairman, who serves on a full-time basis and three other commissioners, who are appointed to serve on a part-time basis. In accordance with Section 5 of the Act, a fourth commissioner can be appointed by the commission, if it is necessary.
The commissioners who serve on the commission alongside Justice Persaud are Maurice Solomon, Dela Britton and Rajendra Bissessar and are mandated to establish and enforce rules and procedures for the regulation of the public utilities, commensurate with internationally accepted regulatory standards and promote and regulate the efficient long-term provision of utility services for national , consistent with government’s policies.

Additionally, the commission is mandated to provide a fair environment conducive to business interests, investment in the public utilities sector and the interest of consumers; to investigate and seek to resolve in a timely manner, complaints filed with the commission against any public utility and to carry out its function in a fair, transparent and independent manner.

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