Farewell parade for Top Cop on Wednesday

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud will be given a traditional send-off as he proceeds on pre-retirement leave after recording more than 30 years’ service in that law-enforcement institution. His farewell parade has been scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday, February 28, at the Police Sports Club Ground at Eve Leary, Kingston Georgetown.
During his final address as Commissioner, at the annual Police Officers Conference last week, Persaud, who is set to retire in April 2018, said: “I have had a wonderful journey, but I do look forward to entering the next phase of my life… I have nothing but best wishes for the Guyana Police Force and for Guyana.”
Persaud last month told reporters the legacy he would leave behind after retiring is reflected in the work he had done for over 30 years in the Guyana Police Force.

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud

“I’m not into making legacy. My entire work in the Force was to address issues to meet the objective of the Force, and I never really considered (making a) legacy; but what is there you all know,” he told media operatives in his first public interview since his return from an accumulated six months’ leave.
Since being appointed Police Commissioner, Persaud has spearheaded several projects — including the highly successful Social Crime Prevention Programme – all aimed at boosting public trust in the Police Force. However, according to the Top Cop, he is most proud of the establishment of the Fallen Heroes Foundation.
“The Fallen Heroes Foundation (is) providing welfare and education assistance to children of Police Officers who were killed in the line of duty,” the Police Commissioner stated.
Persaud was appointed acting Top Cop back in 2014, following the retirement of Commissioner Leroy Brummell. He was Head of the Criminal Investigations Department at the time. He was then confirmed as Top Cop the following year by President David Granger.
Persaud resumed duties in mid-January 2018 after being sent on two months “special leave” back in November, when he had returned from four months annual leave. That move was translated by social commentators as Persaud getting the boot. However, the Head of State had subsequently explained that the Top Cop was not asked to proceed on administrative leave, but was merely asked to use up his remaining annual leave. He noted that the coalition Government was not in favour of public servants accumulating leave which sometimes result in them requesting payment for that time.
Nevertheless, there were uncertainties over Persaud’s return in light of recommendations made following a Commission of Inquiry into the Guyana Police Force’s handling of allegations of plans to assassinate President Granger.
On March 29, Andriff Gillard reported to the Police that his friend and neighbour, Nizam Khan, had offered him $7 million to assassinate the President. He said the offer was made during a conversation between Khan and himself after he had approached Khan to borrow $6 million to purchase a property.
Following the allegation, President Granger had commissioned an inquiry to investigate how the Police had done their investigation of the allegation, and to make recommendations to address flaws and shortcomings of the Police Force.
Retired Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Slowe headed that CoI, and in his recommendations, Slowe suggested that disciplinary actions be taken against Police Commissioner Persaud, and that he be made to resign and be investigated for perjury.
However, Minister Ramjattan had stated that he was not in agreement with all of the recommendations of the report, and had noted that before the recommendations could be acted upon, they would have to be deliberated at Cabinet level. The Public Security Minister had related to this newspaper last month that Commissioner Persaud would remain on the job until his retirement.