Police promotions halted for investigations – President

… says Govt not seeking to trample on constitutional rights

The directive given by President David Granger that the Police Service Commission (PSC) halts the promotion of senior Police Officers was to allow for a thorough investigation to be carried out into a number of complaints.

President Granger made it clear that his Government has no intention of trampling on the constitutional rights of the Police Commission, but wants that whatever is done presents a positive image of the Police Force.

He said his office has received a number of complaints from aggrieved senior Police Officers and has asked that those claims be investigated.

“There have been some doubts and we are investigating the complaints that have been made to us and we have asked the PSC simply to delay so that we can answer those queries”. He said as soon as those questions are answered, “we will proceed.”

According to President Granger, with the complaints, there is evidence that injustices might have been done. “We just need time to have the complaints from aggrieved police Officers thoroughly investigated,” he said.

He stressed that Government is not seeking to trample on the constitutional rights of the Police Commission, but noted that damage could be done by persons who are not “fit and proper “to make decisions and which can be injurious to public security. The Head of State said every effort should be made to prevent damage to the security infrastructure of the country and noted that while Government wants the constitutional commission to function, the Administration is paying attention to the situation.

Last week, a letter dispatched to the Police Service Commission (PSC), instructed the body to put a hold on a list of promotion for senior Police Officers, a move that was readily criticised by the political Opposition.

The President’s decision was made at a time when the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been placed under the microscope during the Commission of Inquiry set up to probe allegations of a plot to assassinate him.

A leaked copy of the promotion list revealed that several senior officers who were hauled before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the assassination plot investigation were on that list. The directive had pushed the Opposition People’s Progressive Party to threaten legal action, if it was not withdrawn. The PSC had said while it was going to adhere with the President’s directive, it was also hoping on some reason for the move. At that point no justification was forthcoming.