The government of Guyana has sought external assistance to conduct an investigation in allegations of rape made against Police Commissioner Henry Greene last week.
Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon on Tuesday say that an investigation solely led by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force may lead to accusations of prejudice and conflict of interest, as the officers doing the investigation would be subordinate to the commissioner.
“The reality of the investigation by CID, a constitutional responsibility of CID to investigate its commissioner is obviously one that can pose some questions in the minds of Guyanese and onlookers. I think from the perspective of the investigative ranks, I am quite certain an outcome could indeed be questioned because of ranks and officers subordinate to the commissioner investigating the commissioner.
Police Commissioner Henry Greene
“To put it bluntly, I am quite certain that the same ones who inveigle against the commissioner and have already deemed him guilty might not be pleased with an outcome not supportive of their premature intentions, their premature conclusions and may very well question and may have questions directed at such findings, ” he said.
Dr Luncheon continued: “Similarly, the commissioner, I am not speaking on his behalf, but I am certain that outcomes again that he considers disadvantageous might generate comments from his perspective of the objectivity of the investigative ranks.”
Given the aforementioned considerations, Luncheon said, “the decision made to get external support for the CID is one that assures, or has the potential of assuring, us that a process that we can all embrace has been unveiled and that the external support would offer inputs of some quality that would support the Guyana Police Force CID in concluding the investigation.” He noted that he is not certain whether there have been conclusions or efforts to identify the external support, but Caricom has the preferred source of support.
Following the allegations leveled against Greene by the wife of a Guyana Defence Force officer, the police commissioner proceeded on leave pending the outcome of the investigations.
The 34-year-old woman accused Greene of raping and falsely imprisoning her at gunpoint.
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