PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has vehemently denied allegations made by Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Paul Slowe, who accused the Head of State of attempting to influence the functions of the constitutional body.

“This is not only far from the truth, but it is a malicious attempt to change the narrative,” Dr. Ali said in a statement released on Monday.
Slowe’s allegations against the president come just as he is mired in charges of sexual assault, and accusations of defrauding the Guyana Police Force.

In the statement, the President explained that he met with Slowe more than eight months ago in the same manner in which he engaged other independent commissioners and members of the judiciary. “At that meeting, I raised various concerns with him [Slowe] that were brought to my attention, without prejudice,” Dr. Ali indicated.
The Head of State believes that Slowe’s allegations are not only convenient but opportunistic.

“As President, my desire is to see these commissions function professionally and independently,” Dr. Ali said.
He further challenged Slowe to produce the requisite evidence to back his allegations.

“It is clear as day that Mr. Slowe is bringing the independence and professionalism of the PSC into question when he aligns the PSC with Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul, and retains Opposition members of Parliament – Roysdale Forde, Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, Amanda Walton Desir to institute proceedings against the Government of Guyana.”

President Ali also questioned Slowe’s political motives, inquiring as to how an independent commissioner can align himself with a political party. “Where is the independence?” President Ali queried.

He added that “This level of distortion and public mischief by the Chairman of this Commission exposes his leadership and alignment.”
In similar vein, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) issued a statement which not only condemned the allegations made by Slowe, but also responded to the efforts of Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon and the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) in calling for the international community to “take note of these worrying developments in Guyana.”

The PPP/C believes that the Opposition is using the unfounded allegations as “a desperate attempt to gain some type of approbation with the international community, after destroying their credibility and whatever semblance of relationship which existed by their five years of constitutional violations.”

The PPP/C, in its statement, made specific reference to the Opposition’s defiance of the No-Confidence Motion, “and their vulgar attempt to rig the 2020 national and regional elections”.
“For these atrocities, they were roundly condemned by the international community, and responded with indecent and vitriolic abuses and insults. Recently, every time an occasion presents itself, they make a public appeal to the international community,” the PPP/C posited in its statement.

The release also pointed to a host of unconstitutional infractions made by members of the APNU+AFC, including an instance where former government minister, Simona Broomes was flagged for allegedly attempting “to direct the Public Service Commission to halt promotions of public servants upon the instructions of former President David Granger”.

“Legal proceedings were filed, and Attorney- General Basil Williams consented to an Order before the then Chief Justice that the letter constituted political interference with an independent, constitutional tribunal in contravention of the Constitution,” the PPP/C statement reminded.

“They would also like Guyanese and the international community to forget that Carvil Duncan, Chairman of the Public Service Commission was summoned to the Office of the President by [then] President David Granger and Joseph Harmon, and threatened that if he does not resign, there would be ‘blood on the carpet,’” the statement continued.

It further reminded, “When Duncan challenged the attempt to remove him from office, Attorney-General Basil Williams threatened the judge who was hearing the case in open court, causing the legal proceedings never to be determined.”

The PPP/C also reminded of an instance where Harmon reportedly wrote to the PSC on behalf of President Granger, instructing the Commission to halt Police promotions. “Again, it is a matter of public record that Harmon’s letter was challenged by Court proceedings and a different Chief Justice ruled that he was guilty of violating the Constitution by politically interfering with an independent constitutional body,” the statement said.