Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Retired Justice Claudette Singh, has clarified the move to provide information to the Guyana Police Force as it relates its investigation into the March 02 General and Regional Elections.
The Chair said that the interview by GECOM Commissioner Desmond Trotman, given to the press earlier this morning, was brought to her attention hence the reason for the clarifications.
Trotman told reporters that Justice Singh has been “facilitating the handing over of information and the persecution of members of staff without showing any willingness to take some line of action” and further that “party to what is happening, is the Chair of the Commission because she is facilitating every line of action that the police is taking and claiming that she cannot interfere……She has instructed that documents be handed over without ascertaining what the documents are going to be used for.”
Singh explained that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force had requested the contracts of some members of staff which she reported at a Statutory Meeting of the Commission. After some discussion, she undertook to seek clarity from the CID as to the purpose of the request as these documents are private to GECOM and those members of staff.
A response from the CID advised that what in fact was required were their respective Job Descriptions. Considering that this information is public, the Chair instructed the Human Resources Manager to provide Job Descriptions only.
“As Chairperson of GECOM and a former Police Legal Advisor, I do not have the authority to interfere into the work of the Guyana Police Force nor any other Statutory Body and will always ensure that the best interest of the members of staff of GECOM are protected.
“It is regrettable that Commissioner Trotman will publicly admonish work of the Commission especially in light of the fact that he was present and a party to these discussions,” Justice Singh said in a statement.
