Senior police officers were divided over security of Region Four Returning Office

Last Updated on Saturday, 5 November 2022, 2:41 by Denis Chabrol

Former ‘A’ Division Commander Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas on Friday confessed to disobeying orders by then Police Commissioner Leslie James for him and others to leave the District Four Returning Office at Ashmin’s Building on the basis that Statements of Poll needed to be protected.

Mr Thomas said he received several calls from Mr James who was insisting that all persons vacate the building. “We had several discussions but I did not comply with him” and “I indicated to Commissioner of Police Mr Leslie James that we have an issue with the security of the Statements of Poll and other election-related materials,” he said.

Mr Thomas said Mr James wanted everyone t0 leave the building except Special Branch agents because he did not mention them.

In testimony from the witness stand on Day One of public hearings of the Commission of Inquiry into the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, Mr Thomas also said that after he “refused to comply” with  the Police Commissioner’s orders, Mr James allegedly ordered the deployment of riot squad police, cleared the building and closed the doors. “I was convinced that at no time could the tabulation room be secured because the locks were not working, ” he added.

Mr Thomas, who was appointed Head of the Presidential Guard from August 3,2020, also told the three-man commission that repeated efforts to subsequently reach Police Commissioner James by telephones to tell him that he was leaving because it appeared that he was no longer in charge failed. He said he eventually contacted Deputy Commissioner Maxine Graham. “I never got an opportunity to speak to him,” Mr Thomas recounted. He said at the outset he had been responsible for security of the persons and election-related materials there at District Four Returning Office.

Mr Thomas said there was no need for riot squad to have been deployed, and he had had a public order unit at his disposal but did not use it. He said only the Police Commissioner enjoyed the authority to deploy the Tactical Services Unit.

The Assistant Police Commissioner further alleged that then Deputy Chief Election Officer of the Guyana Election Commissioner Roxanne Myers had been heard “shouting in an aggressive manner” that “I want you all out of the building” and “I want to close up the place” and he understood that to include himself. He further alleged that Ms Myers informed Deputy Police Commissioner Maxine Graham that he was not complying with her to get people out of the building. “I know she was speaking to her…because the conversation was that loud that I could have been certain that it was Ms Graham,” he added.

He said Senior Superintendent Phillip Azore was walking in his direction but when he saw him he diverted.

According to the high-ranking police officer, when Tactical Services Unit officers Davis and Ally first arrived and instructed persons inside the building to leave, he told those officers that he was the most senior officer on the ground. “They had no authority to give anyone instructions. I told them that the concern was to secure the Statements of Poll,” he said. He said Officers Davis and Ally returned with “15 fully armed ranks dressed” in Tactical Services Unit uniform.

He said after the members of the Tactical Services Unit took control of the building, he told Election Commissioner Sase Gunraj that he needed to leave as he could no longer guarantee his security. He said Ms Myers was still in the building.

The Assistant Police Commissioner said also that he had seen eight members of the Police Force’s Special Branch at the District Four Returning Office although he had not requested them or had any conversation with the then Head of the Special Branch Deputy Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie. “I attempted to evict them out of the building,” he said, adding that he opined that they had gone there in support of Ms Myers with Mr Hoppie’s knowledge. “There was no need for the Special Branch because they were not useful to my operation,” he said. Mr Thomas said on arrival the Special Branch agents sought to “conceal” themselves and entered the top flat of the Ashmin’s Building where the Deputy Chief Election Officer was located and she did not ask them to leave.

He said days later he had seen barriers erected around the Ashmin’s Building and close to the building but “I did not give any such instruction.” He said at that time all the gates to the building had been locked.

Deputy Region 4 Commander Senior Superintendent Philip Azore, according to Mr Thomas, had instructed police to man the doors at the Ashmin’s Building to prevent political party representatives from entering the Returning Officer’s Office (Ashmin’s Building) even as Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo was about to make an “important announcement” that turned out to be a declaration. He said Mr Azore, being his junior officer, never told him that he had given instructed to his ranks. Mr Thomas further recounted that he called Mr Azore about the instructions to the ranks but he did not answer. However, Deputy Commissioner Graham called him immediately after and informed him that he was no longer in command of the division and instead Senior Superintendent Azore would take over as Commander and that he (Thomas) should go to Headquarters for a letter for his posting.

Mr Thomas said soon after he facilitated the entrance of Mr Zulfikar Mustapha (Executive Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party), who was previously barred from entering the building by opening the doors. That, he said, also allowed other persons to enter so that they could have contacted GECOM officials.

He said he subsequently spoke with Election Commissioner Gunraj concerning alleged efforts by Ms Myers to evict persons from the building.

The Assistant Police Commissioner said he later Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Williams informed him that the Police Commissioner was dissatisfied with his performance but gave no details. He was subsequently given a letter, which he was unable to find it now, which stated that he was no longer Commander and that he was instead a Patrol Officer who was a senior person who was responsible for a beat.

After objecting to the assignment, Mr Thomas related that he informed Mr Williams that he had a problem working under Ms Graham who was in charge of beat patrol officers. He was then posted to the Civil Defence Commission and then reposted to Police Headquarters “doing nothing”, “I wasn’t given a desk” and he went to work twice monthly but he did not lose pay.

President Irfaan Ali has appointed a three-member Commission of Inquiry into the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections.