Consultation commences on Top Cop’s appointment

By Anter Narine

Government has every intention of ensuring that the leadership of the Guyana Police Force is held by persons who have not been tainted, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee told a Berbice gathering last Saturday. He was at the time formally announcing that acting Police Commissioner Leroy Brummel and Crime Chief Seelall Persaud have been promoted to deputy commissioner.
The two officers previously held the rank of assistant commissioner. Rohee, who presided over most of the tenure of disgraced former police chief Henry Greene, said the appointment of two deputy commissioners is of extreme importance, as it signals to the rest of the force and to the people of Guyana that there are competent persons in the organisation who are capable of holding these positions. He said the force requires such persons to be accountable to the administration for the activities of the Guyana Police Force.
“It also signals to the people of Guyana the government has no intention of standing still, but wants to ensure that the leadership of the Guyana Police Force is held by persons who are not tainted but have a clean record.”
Greene resigned over allegations that he raped an East Coast Demerara woman who had gone to his office for assistance in a criminal matter. The Director of Public Prosecutions had recommended that Greene be charged with rape, but he appealed against the institution of the decision and won.
Since then, there have been moves by the woman to file a private criminal charge. Greene had admitted to having consensual sex with the woman, but argued that he never raped her nor placed a gun to her head as was alleged.
Meanwhile, Rohee noted that the appointments are as a result of the administration’s recognition that there had not been any deputy commissioner for a considerable period. “We felt that the time has come to put an end to a situation where the head of the force did not have someone with the rank of deputy commissioner to hold the fort when he needed to be away. It is true that there are other vacancies, but in the judgment of the president and the administration, it was felt that the direction that we should move at this point in time is to appoint both Brumel and Persaud as deputy commissioners,” Rohee added.
He referred to the appointments as a major step in the ongoing transformational process of the force.
“We, therefore, look forward to firm, decisive and transformative leadership by the deputy commissioner, acting commissioner of police.” Brummel will continue to serve as the acting police commissioner, while Persaud remains the chief of criminal investigations. Both Persaud and Brummel are in the running for the top post, on which President Donald Ramotar and Opposition Leader David Granger consulted last Friday. It is unclear whether any decision was made as to who would be made police chief, although Granger said he prefers Brummel because he was more senior and suitable.