The silence is deafening. The silence is deadening. And as the days go by the silence eats away at the confidence some of us might have had in public officials and goes to the heart of what really is the matter with this society.
For all their posturing and talk of openness and democracy, it would appear that Minister of Education Priya Manickchand (formerly the minister of Human Services and Social Security) is the only government official who not only recognizes that what Commissioner of Police Henry Greene has done is wrong, but has the gastronomic fortitude to say so.
“From his own admission he acted most improperly and in this instance he was discovered so he should leave willingly. I am not sure that he can do very much hereafter to enjoy the confidence of people generally and women in particular and his actions may have been a bad example for his juniors,” Ms Manickchand said.
Minister Manickchand, who is also a lawyer, had the gumption too, to criticize Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang’s ruling in favour of the High Court challenge brought by the Commissioner against the impending charge of rape. However, from other members of the Cabinet, there has been not a word spoken, despite their opinions being asked. Does no one, beside Minister Manickchand that is, have an opinion? Where is the openness? Has Minister Manickchand taken some sort of huge career risk then by expressing her opinion? The silence of the current Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Jennifer Webster, whose ministry is responsible for promoting the rights of women, is particularly unbelievable.
By his own admission, Commissioner Greene abused his office. Accused of raping a woman who went to him for help with a police matter she was involved in, Mr Greene said publicly that he’d had consensual sex with his accuser. Now, were Mr Greene just an ordinary citizen, his admission would, at worst, make him guilty of adultery. But Mr Greene, as Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, was at pains to point out when journalists asked him about the issue, is the holder of a constitutional office. He knows what he can and cannot do as holder of that office. Having a sexual encounter with someone who approaches him in his capacity as Commissioner is one of the things he cannot do, regardless of how that encounter comes about. Not only that, Mr Greene’s superiors in government—Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, Dr Luncheon and President Donald Ramotar—must also be well aware of it. So why the silence?
Mr Greene’s ‘village ram’ type behaviour is reprehensible and demeans the office he so desperately wants to cling to. He had previously been quoted as telling US Embassy officials that he thought his visa was revoked because he “interfered with the girls.” Anyone so admittedly lecherous cannot and should not hold the office of Police Commissioner. It’s as simple as that.
Mr Greene should have handed in his gun and his badge and left town weeks ago. The fact that he hasn’t is a reflection of the lack of respect he himself has for the office of the commissioner. Is it any wonder then that the Guyana Police Force is in the shaky state it is in at present?
Dr Luncheon claims that the constitution demands that the Henry Greene situation be handled by way of a process. However, the constitution does not and cannot prevent top government officials from privately applying pressure on Mr Greene to saddle up and ride out. There has to be another reason that Mr Greene apparently has to be handled with kid gloves. Conjecture is rife, but this newly-elected government, whose head, President Ramotar, vowed at the beginning of this his first term in office to stamp out corruption, is silent. The message the silence conveys is that people can think what they like; the government does not feel it is under any obligation to clear up any misunderstanding. Or perhaps, it cannot. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
