Top Cop prepares to ‘call it a day’

…after more than 30 years of service to the GPF

With just a few months remaining before his retirement, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud said the legacy he will leave behind is reflected in the work he had done for over 30 years in the Guyana Police Force.
The Top Cop, who is expected to retire sometime in April, made this comment on Wednesday when asked about his legacy.
“I’m not into making a legacy, my entire work in the Force was to address to issues to meet the objective of the Force and I never really consider (making a) legacy but what is there you all know,” he told media operatives in his first public interview since his return from an accumulated six-month leave.
Since his appointment to the office of Commissioner of Police, Persaud has spearheaded several projects, including the highly successful Social Crime Prevention Programme – all aimed at boosting public trust in the Police Force.

However according to the Top Cop, he is most proud of the establishment of the Fallen Heroes Foundation.
“The Fallen Heroes Foundation (is) providing welfare and education assistance to children of Police Officers who were killed in the line of duty,” the Police Commissioner stated.
Further asked whether he would be accepting the customary farewell parade upon his retirement, Persaud said, “There are traditional things that happen when senior officers in the Force retire and they’re under consideration.”
Persaud returned to work last Monday after being sent on a two-month “special leave” when he turned up for work back in November following a four-month annualised leave.
There were uncertainties over his return in light of recommendations made following a Commission of Inquiry into the Guyana Police Force’s handling of allegations of plans to assassinate President David Granger.
On March 29, 2017, Andriff Gillard reported to the Police that his friend and neighbour, Nizam Khan, had offered him G$7 million to assassinate the President. He said the offer was made during a conversation between Khan and himself after he had approached Khan to borrow G$6 million to purchase a property.
Following the allegation, President Granger commissioned an inquiry to investigate how the Police had done their investigation of the allegation, and to make recommendations to address flaws and shortcomings of the Force.
Retired Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Slowe headed the CoI and, in his recommendations, suggested that disciplinary actions be taken against Police Commissioner Persaud and that he be made to resign and investigated for perjury.
The Commission found that a proper investigation was not conducted into the allegation made by Gillard, owing to the interference of Persaud. Slowe reported that the response by the Police was conditioned by the fact that Imran Khan, brother of the accused, has a close relationship with Persaud and other senior ranks of the Police Force.
“The Commission recommends that Commissioner Seelall Persaud should be made to resign his position as the Commissioner of Police for the Guyana Police Force, under such terms and conditions that His Excellency considers appropriate. Failing which, proceedings should be initiated in accordance with Article 225 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to have him removed from the office for misbehaviour,” the report stated.
It was also recommended that Persaud be investigated for perjury since he told the CoI that he first knew about the allegation after 16:00h on March 29, in spite of Assistant Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken testifying that he informed Persaud of the allegation around 10:00h that morning.
However, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had stated that he was not in agreement with all of the recommendations of the report, which would have to be deliberated at the level of Cabinet.
In fact, when asked whether Commissioner Persaud will remain on the job until his retirement or will be asked to resign in keeping with recommendations made, the Minister told this newspaper almost two weeks ago that, “He is going to resume duty tomorrow until he retires.”