Last Updated on Saturday, 19 October 2024, 18:40 by Writer
American Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot on Friday said the United States (US) was paying attention to the swirling corruption allegations in the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
“We don’t want to be providing resources and funding to an organisation that has those issues but, again, they are just allegations at this point,” she told Demerara Waves Online News.
Emphasising that the charges were merely allegations, she would not be drawn into comment on whether they would affect Guyana-US security cooperation with that civilian law enforcement agency. “They are just allegations so we would have to see how the proceedings work themselves out,” she said.
The US envoy described her country’s relationship with the GPF as a “strong one” in which the local law enf0rcement agency could “adjust how they do business. “What we aim to do is build their capacity and help share the best practices that we have in the United States with them and that does come with providing equipment and resources,” she said.
The GPF’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) says in court papers that personal and business bank accounts connected to Assistant Police Commissioner, Calvin Brutus, his wife Adonika Aulder and their minor son were frozen with a total of GY$439,024,229 as part of the probe.
SOCU also says in court papers that Mr Brutus is facing more than 240 charges in connection with GY$800 million worth of transactions.
He is accused of violating the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Financing Terrorism Act, Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, Police Act, Police (Discipline) Act and the Integrity Commission Act.
The latest indication of US- GPF cooperation was on October 17 when Regional Security Officer of the American Embassy in Guyana, Timothy Semons and his team met with Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken and senior police officers.
The focus of the discussions centered on technical support and capacity-building initiatives to be provided by US law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA). “These initiatives are part of a broader effort to strengthen the GPF’s operational capacity and bolster the nation’s crime-fighting efforts through specialized training, intelligence sharing, and technical resources,” the GPF said in a statement.
The GPF said the two sides held comprehensive talks on how these agencies can assist the Guyana law enforcement agency in enhancing investigative techniques, intelligence operations, and overall security infrastructure. “The meeting underscored the ongoing collaboration between the United States and Guyana in advancing security efforts and enhancing law enforcement capabilities,” the GPF added.
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