Missing $90 million election police funds…Rohee threatens commanders over leaks
Angered by Ramnarine statements
By Dale Andrews
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee is upset over what he described as the leaking of classified
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee
information to the media by senior officers of the Guyana Police Force.
Addressing officers at their annual conference on Thursday, last, the Minister said, “There are some in our midst who think that they are doing the Force good by helping to grease those sections of the Media hostile to the Law Enforcement Agencies by providing classified and internal information as well as their own personal views and analyses on sensitive issues.”
He was referring to comments made in this newspaper by Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine, on the non- provision of funds to the police to provide meals for the in-lying ranks.
While many Commanders have refused to comment on the matter, the usually outspoken Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine, who was in charge of the Interior Division during the elections, was not restrained and described the situation as a “big joke”.
“What I will say is this, as I have said before and which I had already communicated to the ranks under my command, David Ramnarine did not receive a single cent. Much less, I was asked to seek the support of the miners and businessmen, particularly from the Bartica district, to fund feeding and other issues during the elections,” Ramnarine said.
The Home Affairs Minister was clearly rattled by Ramnarine’s comments especially since it is his Ministry that was supposed to administer the $90M that was earmarked to feed the ranks and provide for patrol duties during the elections period.
I want to warn about this malpractice. The Guyana Police Force is an integral Member of the Disciplined Services. As such its members are expected to behave in a disciplined manner. Once the Commissioner of Police issues a Force Order in respect to communications with the Media, it is expected that all and sundry within the Force, particularly at the Senior level, will fall in line and uphold that Order and will not seek to adopt an individualistic and egoistic stand and more so, provide their personal view to the Media,” the Home Affairs Minister told the officers.
He pointed out that in the United Kingdom, a law exists which prohibits ranks of the Metropolitan Police from providing information to the Media. Police Ranks can be charged and prosecuted if caught doing so without the authorization of the Chief of Police.
But not all of the officers are in agreement with the Minister even though they were not prepared to be as bold as Ramnarine and speak out.
David Ramnarine
However those who spoke with this newspaper on condition of anonymity, are in sync with the fact that the Minister failed to address the real issue of the money not being given to the commanders for the purpose it was intended.
“He sought to digress from the real issue. Was the money given to the police or not? What is the government trying to do? Approve money it did not spend?”
Kaieteur News understands that the matter was not even given lukewarm attention at the officers’ conference which ended yesterday.
One senior officer who disagrees with the Minister, remarked that it is extremely unfortunate that in high public offices and even in the hierarchy of the military “many confuse the power of rank as against integrity and intellect and intelligence, and come to the erroneous conclusion that might is always right.”
These comments are sure to irk the Home Affairs Minister who has been closely monitoring the administration of the Force, so much so that he comes across as interfering politically in its running.
But Rohee has defended his position, telling the police officers, “In my general assessment of 2011, the Guyana Police Force, in my opinion, has developed a greater understanding of the oversight and support role that the Ministry of Home Affairs has to play in support of the work of the Force.
“As I pointed out in previous discussions, internationally, civilian oversight of Law Enforcement Agencies is part of a new process that has developed. It allows for better coordination and more transparency,” the minister stated.
He said that all of the information on serious crimes is required to be submitted by Guyana annually to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Organization of American States.
Statistical data on drugs are also submitted to the OAS and UNODC.
Rohee said that it therefore means that if Guyana, as a country, is subject to some form of oversight at the International and Regional Levels, domestically, the Ministry of Home Affairs would, as a matter of necessity, have oversight over the Law Enforcement Agencies under its purview.
“The role of the Ministry of Home Affairs is not to tell you who to charge. Our role is to ensure that the policies of the Ministry are carried out by the Force in keeping with its mandate under the Constitution.
I am of the view that the regular engagements by the Ministry with the Police on the Reform Project have enhanced our closer working relationships,” Rohee said.
If the leadership of the Guyana Police Force is going to ever command the respect of he General Public, this is the time for the leadership to grow some balls and tell this moron to go fuukk himself. Kudos to Ramnarine and Merai for speaking up!
In the early days of the Burnham Dictatorship, respected, capable and honorable Officers like Neal Isacs, Neville Sobers, Dick La Borde, Isic Sobryan, Jainarine Singh... and others were shunted aside and pliable second tier nincompoops were jettisoned in command. The result ? this one respected and August body gradually devolved into a glorified watchies' club. Now this jackass has the gumption to reference and draw parallel between the UK Metropolitan Police and and what is pass for policing in Guyana! In the UK, the Interior Secretary would have resigned or fired a long time ago over far less scandal that has been hovering this fool's head since he took office.
