Following his statement that there was blatant corruption in the police force and other illegal activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday accused retiring Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe of sowing “seeds of disaffection” in the force and condemned his behaviour in the “strongest possible terms”.
In a press release yesterday afternoon the ministry said it is “amazed and concerned about the recent wild antics” Slowe has been engaging in over the past seven days.
It said that the ministry is “extremely disappointed in the conduct of Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe, in his latest attempt to sow seeds of dissatisfaction and disunity among the members of the Guyana Police Force.”
Slowe in an interview with Stabroek News reported over the weekend had stated among other things that the Guyana Police Force’s image took a blow from the `phantom gang’ era, corruption in the force was out of control and rogue cops from the top to the bottom needed to be weeded out.
“This police officer, who claims that he is a professional, has by his conduct, offered himself up as fodder to sections of the media, and some societal elements who are pursuing their own agendas, in his efforts at tarnishing the image of the Guyana Police Force, which he has admitted provided sustenance to him over the years,” the release said.
According to the release when a policeman takes the oath of office, nothing but the best is expected of him by the public and as such Slowe was bound by law to perform his duty in a professional manner because that is what he was paid to do.
“The Assistant Commissioner, in some of his bombardments in the media, has tacitly admitted that matters of improper conduct and other infringements allegedly committed by ranks, were brought to his attention, but he failed to take action, as a senior police officer,” the release said.
The release also questioned what Slowe as a senior officer did to address the allegations of corruption in the force he spoke about.
“He, by his own words, may be guilty of ‘dereliction of duty’,” the release asserted.
Referring to Slowe’s statement that he became ashamed because of illegal activities in the force, the ministry said as a senior officer that should have been the stage for him to use his management skills to assist the force’s administration to address the problems.
And addressing Slowe’s contention that he may have been sidelined for promotion in the last seven years of his career because of an issue involving former Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj, the ministry said “the issue of promotion to a higher rank in the force like with other oganisations, this (is) not automatic, it must be earned.”
“The inconsistencies in the utterances of this retired police officer, have been noted by the Ministry of Home Affairs,” the release said.