Commissioner Greene denies bugging Felix’s office

Police Commissioner Henry Greene has distanced himself from the bugging of the office of former Police Commissioner Winston Felix who was heard on a tape recording, which surfaced back in 2006, discussing security matters with People’s National Congress Reform member Basil Williams.

Felix has long accused senior officials within the force of placing the recording device in his office while he was away on an overseas assignment. The tape recording was later distributed by jailed drug trafficker Shaheed Roger Khan to the diplomatic community, government officials and the media here.

Felix believes that Khan was behind the recording, but he is adamant that the drug trafficker received assistance from someone who had permission to use his office while he was away.

In a Sunday Stabroek News article, Felix was quoted as saying there is no doubt in his mind that a recording device was placed in his office and this had to be done while he was at a conference in January 2006 in another country, saying “somebody else occupied my office in my absence with my permission and whatever happened had to have happened then; I have no apologies to make”.

In a statement issued in reaction to the article, Greene said: “I, Commissioner of Police Henry Greene, DSS, DSM, wish to state that during Mr Felix’s tenure as commissioner, I was the most senior deputy commissioner. I was in charge of law enforcement at CID headquarters and would usually act as commissioner in the absence of then Commissioner Winston Felix.”

Greene said during January 2006, to which Felix refers, the former commissioner did leave the country for a conference overseas with then Home Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira.

“Prior to his departure, I fell ill and was admitted a patient at the St Joseph Mercy Hospital. I was admitted to the hospital in 2006 on a Sunday; the records of the hospital can prove this. During the time I was in hospital, Commissioner Felix visited me in hospital and told me that he was leaving the country the next day. He also told me that in his absence, Deputy Commissioner Sydney Bunbury would be in charge.

“I remained in hospital until Friday of the said week and I left the St Joseph Mercy Hospital about midday on the said Friday. I went home and did not work until the following Monday. While I was home, I was told that Mr Felix had returned to the country. I think it was either the said Friday or Saturday morning,” Greene explained.

He said he resumed duty on the Monday and at no time between the Friday mid-day and the Monday when he resumed duty did he visit Felix’s office.

“I am saying that Mr Winston Felix should be asked to say who is the person that occupied his office during January 2006 while he was overseas,” Greene asserted. He added that if there were any further doubts he would recommend that those in authority investigate the dates of his hospitalisation, the dates of Felix’s departure from and return to the country, and “who would have utilised his office during that period”. Felix’s last days as police chief was dogged by discussion of the tape, which he said was doctored to damage his credibility as a professional. Among other things Felix and Williams were heard purportedly discussing the Agricola massacre, the theft of cash from PNCR leader Robert Corbin and planting of drugs on someone.