Dear Editor,
Both SN and KN reported in their July 13 editions that senior police officers were involved in the boat scam. Given that this is in no way a surprising development, the question must be asked: What other scams are currently ongoing, but still remain undetected? What else is out there and involves members of the GPF in starring roles? Scams that could involve the public, and encompass anything from misdemeanours and felonies to evidence and witnesses. Perhaps, a more appropriate way to phrase these questions is: What is one area of police operations in which members of the force are not compromised or corrupted, be they constable or commander?
These are hard questions, but altogether reasonable, and must be raised, in view of what has come to light, and keeps bombarding the senses with increasing frequency. In for a penny, why not a pound? It is a short leap from making a killing on traffic tickets, to living off other kinds of killing. And given the norms prevailing in Guyana, where approaches and solicitations are routine, and the deciding factor is dollars, what price resistance? It can make a difference on who walks the streets to carry on with their evil ways, and who are trapped in the lockups wrongly. If it can happen with a boat, then what about ballistics? Or other forensic material for that matter? No aspersions are cast; only reasonable questions floated by what happened with the boat.
Separately, why is there this dogged insistence on in camera proceedings and sealed decisions? The time is long past for a cessation of these ‘in-house’ farces –the nation needs to know, and has a right to know, regardless of who is tarnished. Politicians and officials are called upon to stop mocking and insulting the nation; to show that they are really serious about corruption and what is done about it. Let the light of day illuminate these matters, if only for the message sent and deterrent effects. I say nothing about breach of trust, loss of confidence, or setting standards. In this vein, I wonder how serious the acting commissioner is. On Sunday July 8, he is reported to have said “Turn in your badge by Monday.” On Friday 13, it is turn in the cashbox. If this is not Police Academy XX, then what is?
So, the nation gropes around in the long shadow of a perpetual Black Friday, while perpetrators – uniformed or otherwise – gyrate to the officially sanctioned ‘Big Lime’ merriment of their uninterrupted New Year’s Eve bacchanalia. In the meantime, the comedy show continues, with the joke on the nation. Anyone cares enough to laugh?
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
