Just days after it was announced that ‘F’ Division Commander Ravindradat Budhram would be temporarily taking up the mantle of Crime Chief until such time that Detective Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum returns from leave, Acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine has announced a change in that plan.
Ramnarine in responding to inaccuracies surrounding the deployment of Blanhum on leave, said, among other things, that a series of events led to Budhram being temporarily chosen to helm the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
He noted that Blanhum’s Deputy, Detective Senior Superintendent Rishi Das fell ill and is overseas seeking medical attention hence the responsibility for the CID department could not fall to Das, whom he also said had officially requested to be moved from the CID due to “its strenuous engagements” which may be exacerbating his illness.
Moreover Ramnarine posited that “at the same time Detective Superintendent Joel David who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department, Headquarters, Eve Leary was and still is on a special assignment with a team of Officers, investigating the episode of the illegal Aircraft in Mandacaro, Region 9 (Lethem District).”
He continued that “in the circumstances, the initial decision was made to have Senior Superintendent R. Budhram ‘fill the breach’ at the Criminal Investigation Department, Headquarters, Eve Leary temporarily until such time, that is a matter of days when a more informed decision would have been made.”
Ramnarine said further that Budhram’s move was never intended to last long since the “‘F’ Division which he commands is increasingly becoming a geographical area of much interest, and in which he has developed a comprehensive understanding of.”
He also noted that the CID, Headquarters, Eve Leary is equally too important to be ‘left in the open’ without the requisite command leadership.
Accordingly, the acting Top Cop indicated in a public missive that the ‘informed decision’ was to appoint at this point in time Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams to act as Head of the CID until Blanhum returns while Assistant Commissioner Lindon Alves will act as Commander of ‘B’ Division.
