Former Home Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira today accused former Commissioner of Police Winston Felix of failing to control the crime spree during his tenure at the helm of the Guyana Police Force, saying he was diverted by a very narrow focus on convicted drug lord Roger Khan.
“Had we been able to manage our crime situation and I am convinced as the minister then that we had enough to be able to get on top of that crime situation to save lives, but we were not able to do it because it appears now…that the Commissioner of Police…had diverted his attention in a very narrow direction,” she said today. Teixeira was responding, during a news conference at Freedom House, to recent statements made by Felix in an exclusive interview with Stabroek News and comments in other sections of the media.
She said that Felix has admitted to being focused on the activities of Khan adding that Felix would have ignored reliable intelligence about various criminal gangs in his singular pursuit of Khan. She said though that she was not defending Khan and said that the drug trafficker got what he deserved.
She also criticized the former Commissioner for only trying to disassociate himself from the influence of the PPP. “I am not aware that Mr. Felix was under any influence by the PPP, “ she said, adding “he does not go [on to say]I resisted being influenced by the PPP, by the PNC or by any political party or any other force. I was a professional I did my job. He has not said that at any time”.
Felix, who is on the list of candidates for A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) has in recent interviews been very critical of the way the PPP/C managed the police force during his term as Commissioner.
