No views on Police Commissioner, Deputies due to lack of info- Jagdeo

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 August 2018, 14:15 by Denis Chabrol

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo said Thursday he did not register any views about Police Commissioner, Leslie James and the four Deputy Commissioners because of a lack of information, but said from all indications there was no role for Assistant Commissioner, David Ramnarine in the high-ranking line-up.

“I did not have a positive or an adverse view to the names,” Jagdeo said. “I did not have adverse position to any of the nominees since we had not a chance to go through the process that he had gone through,” Jagdeo added in reference to consultation with Granger on the appointment of then Police Commissioner, Winston Felix.

He added that “so far I have not heard anything adverse about” James who has previously served as  Head of Special Branch/Intelligence, Crime Chief, and Divisional Commander of  Georgetown- East Bank Demerara, and West Demerara.

Jagdeo said he asked President David Granger what was the fate of Ramnarine who had acted as Police Commissioner for about a year.

“The President said there were specific reasons why he was not selected. He did not share the reasons,” Jagdeo told a news conference, adding that “I think he had expectations”.

The Commander of Chief of the Armed Forces also noted that Mr. James will be supported by four deputy commissioners who are Mr. Lyndon Alves, Ms. Maxine Graham, Mr. Nigel Hoppie and Mr. Paul Williams. These appointments will also take immediate effect as of August 30, 2018.

The former President said he told Granger in the constitutionally required consultations that he was sent correspondence late and so he did not have sufficient time to hold “some form of consultation about the nominees”, something he said the Head of State promised to ensure would not happen again.

“This impeded on my constitutional authority to consider the matter carefully and consult with others,” he said.

The Opposition Leader, against the background of concerns about the Police Service Commission under the Chairmanship of Retired Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Slowe, said he sought assurances from the President that the Slowe Commission of Inquiry into an assassination plot against the President did not feature in his decisions.

The President, according to Jagdeo, confirmed that  he, the Attorney General, Basil Williams and the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan had conducted interviews and an assessment of the candidates.