Former Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix yesterday challenged Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee to present evidence that he has a radio belonging to the Guyana Police Force in his possession even as he accused the minister of continued political interference in the work of the force.
Approached yesterday by Stabroek News to comment on a charge by Rohee that he has in his possession a police-issued radio that is tuned into the police frequency, Felix flat out denied this claim.
A Government Information Agency (GINA) report had said on Sunday that Rohee had stated that Felix is not authorised to have the equipment and that necessary actions will be taken against Felix should he refuse to return the equipment and continue to tap into Government’s operations. The Minister made this disclosure while he was speaking at a community policing workshop on Sunday morning.
“What authority he has for that? Where is the basis? I challenge the minister to produce any evidence, documentary or otherwise, that I ever had any VHF radio. Let him show the source, let him bring forward to the public just as how he was able to speak glibly he should be able to be convincing and produce evidence to the public,” Felix told Stabroek News.
Felix also used the break in the budget debate in the National Assembly to challenge Rohee to come and search his house when he is ready.
“Rohee you want come and search me house come when you ready, come and search,” an obviously riled Felix called out to the minister who was sitting opposite him.
A smiling Rohee told Felix that he should give back the radio and Felix retorted that “if you didn’t give any you come and find one, come an tek it.” He told the minister that “you all like to threaten people but I am not afraid.”
.During Friday’s debate on the budget, Felix had referred to the contents of a radio conversation where he said Rohee was issuing instructions to the police.
Yesterday he told Rohee to tell the patrol officers to turn down the radio set, implying that that was how he overheard Rohee’s instructions while he was at a polling station during the national and regional elections. “Let them control the sound,” he said.
In an interview with this newspaper yesterday, Felix said Rohee’s reaction stemmed from his presentation to parliament last Friday.
“They seemed to have been hurt by my presentation or parts of it on Friday and out of political spite they want to raid my house or organize a search for some unknown reason,” Felix said.
He charged that the government does not want anything to be said about the convicted Roger Khan and the spy equipment and “the dirty behaviour which occurred between 2002 and 2008 or thereabout.”
Felix charged that when he became police commissioner in 2004 he was offered communications for his home but he refused.
“So I never had any radio, any police radio, VHF or HF at my home, none,” he said, adding that for a VHF radio to be installed at his home an antenna would have had to be erected and the only antenna he has at his home is for a television set. According to Felix his neighbours could attest to this as there would have been erecting of the antenna and the dismantling of it, none of which occurred.
Felix, who on Friday expressed concerns about Rohee directing acting Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell to investigate Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine for statements he made in the public. Rohee said that the statements were in contravention of the police force’s standing orders. Felix said that it seems as if the minister wants to take on the role of the commissioner.
“… the problem is unfortunately the Guyana Police Force will be caught up with this Rohee politicization of the force and the work of the force. That is what is happening now and one wonders now about how the public would perceive the police eventually because the matters which the acting commissioner should be leading off with are the matters which the minister is taking over. Clear political influence in cases where it is unnecessary,” Felix said.
“He is bringing political influences on professional matters,” Felix charged, adding that had he a radio in his possession it would have had to have been issued by the commissioner preceding him and he said the fact that present commissioner, the embattled Henry Greene has not approached him on the issue five and a half years after he had retired means that he has no radio in his position.
“Mr Greene would have never allowed me to keep a police radio after I left the job, would never have allowed that to happen,” he said.
He said neither Rohee nor his predecessor issued him a radio and he questioned how the minister could make such a statement.
He said Rohee cannot produce the evidence and charged that the government wants to “set up the public into believing that Felix is in wrong doing and they would act, that is it basically, set it up and then execute a search on my house and the public would say ‘Oh yes they had said he had a radio and he hadn’t given it back’”.
Felix said he is not afraid of any search of his house and stated that he expects it, adding that the moment he read about Rohee’s statement in yesterday’s Stabroek News he knew what is to come.
