…President says CoI points out flaws

PRESIDENT David Granger said that his administration’s focus is on strengthening the Guyana Police Force and that the findings and recommendations from the recent Commission of Inquiry will aid in this process.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the Guyanese leader said that the CoI report will come up for discussion when Cabinet meets next week. On Wednesday, President Granger told reporters at State House, that the report compiled by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe, was not discussed when Cabinet met last Tuesday. The report, snippets of which were seen by the Guyana Chronicle, calls for stern action to be taken against some members of the Guyana Police Force, including those sitting at the helm. Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud; Senior Superintendent, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum; and Deputy Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent of Police Rishi Das, were among those singled out and according to the report, should be removed or sanctioned.

Asked whether he was concerned that such a sensitive document was leaked to the press, President Granger responded in the affirmative, but said the efficiency of the Guyana Police Force is of paramount importance to the Government. “I had hoped that members of the Cabinet would have had an opportunity to look at it critically before it came up for public discussion. So I am concerned. I don’t know who is responsible for that leak, but the important thing is that we have been able to discern or detect some flaws in the police administration,” President Granger told reporters. He noted that the Ministry of the Presidency and the Public Security Ministry have been working to ensure that the police force is more efficient. “We are all concerned about crime, and we cannot solve the problems of crime, whether it is narco-trafficking, whether it is interpersonal violence, whether it is traffic accidents, without having an efficient police force. So the efficiency of the police force is of paramount concern,” President Granger said.
According to the CoI report, Persaud, who is currently on leave, should be made to resign or proceedings should be initiated in accordance with Article 225 of the Constitution to have him removed from office for misbehaviour.

The commissioner, based on the inquiry, said in his report that Persaud had improperly inserted himself into the investigation of the alleged plot, although he was on leave. According to the commission, the commissioner’s insertion of himself into the matter “adversely” influenced the conduct of the investigation. At the time, Assistant Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine was acting in the capacity of police commissioner. He is the second most senior rank in the force.

The commission also called for Blanhum to be removed as head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for his failure to properly supervise the investigation, though so instructed by acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine, for lying to Ramnarine, not conducting due diligence on a report containing factual errors sent to the National Security Council (NSC), neglect of duty, and insubordination.

The deputy crime chief was not spared either. According to the commission, Das should be disciplined for neglect of duty for failing to ensure that the correct date of the allegation made by Andriff Gillard, a Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident, was stated in the report he submitted to the commissioner of police.

Assistant Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine and Assistant Police Commissioner and Head of Operations, Clifton Hicken, were also singled out in the report.
The inquiry was launched after concerns were raised over the police handling of an alleged plot to assassinate the President. In March, Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) businessman, Andriff Gillard, alleged that he was offered $7M by Nazim Khan to assassinate President Granger in 2015, shortly after he took office.

Gillard, who was among a long list of persons who testified before the commission, accused officers of the Criminal Investigation Department’s Major Crimes Unit, headed by the crime chief, of not taking his report seriously. He based his allegation on the fact that accused brother Imran Khan has close ties to the police commissioner.