President says alleged irregularities forced him to block promotion of senior police officers

Last Updated on Friday, 15 December 2017, 12:57 by Denis Chabrol

The headquarters of the Guyana Police Force, Young Street, Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown.

President David Granger on Friday said he blocked the Police Service Commission (PSC) from promoting several officers of the Guyana Police Force after he received complaints that a number of alleged procedural irregularities.

“I did receive a letter pointing out to me that deserving persons were being superseded. One letter writer claimed that they had been no internal procedure for the nomination of officers.

It is the contention that the Commissioner would convene a committee of the most senior officers to nominate persons and this has not been done and there was a danger that persons who were not qualified would be recommended for supersession and persons who were qualified would end up being left behind,” he said.

Without providing details, the President said there were other allegations which led him to conclude that the promotion process was about to be compromised. “Taken as a whole, I felt that the integrity of the process was compromised and that it was not in the public’s interest to proceed with those nominations and that is why it was requested that the recommendations be frozen,” Granger added.

The High Court recently ruled that the directive to the PSC was unconstitutional as that Commission should not be subjected to the directive or influence of anyone.

Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud remains on leave after an inquiry into an alleged assassination plot against the President found that he got involved in the matter although he had been on vacation leave.

The President hoped that a new PSC would be appointed by year-end.