After rescinding the promotion of policeman Alwyn Hoyte to the rank of Inspector, the Police Service Commission is awaiting word from the police force for clarity on disciplinary proceedings against him in order to decide on a way forward.
Chairman of the Police Service Commission Omesh Satyanand told reporters last Friday that the promotion was rescinded because of revelations that Hoyte had a pending disciplinary matter. Based on what he said, the withdrawal of the promotion is temporary until the matter can be clarified.
Hoyte, who has served the force for more than two decades, was among 33 persons who were promoted from the rank of Sergeant to Inspector. The promotion list was made public on January 2. He was subsequently informed by way of a letter that his promotion had been rescinded, effectively reducing his rank to Sergeant.
Satyanand noted that Hoyte was not on the official list of ranks up for promotion sent by the Commissioner of Police but he was considered for elevation by the Commission, which had learned that he was a disciplined Sergeant.
However, the Commission subsequently found out that there was a matter engaging the High Court where the Chief Justice signed a writ in relation to the disciplinary matter. “We thought at the time, even though he is a good police, that it would have been wrong for us to promote him… so we have asked that his name be rescinded until clarity from Force Administration on this issue because we have a policy at the Service Commission that we will not promote anybody who has current disciplinary matters… we have asked Force Administration to clear the air,” he said.
Once the report from the force is favourable to Hoyte, Satyanand added, he will be considered for promotion before the end of this year. Former Police Commissioner Winston Felix, however, criticized the decision to rescind the promotion, while saying that a rank has to be found guilty first.
He said the Police (Discipline) Act requires that a member of the Force be found guilty of a disciplinary offence before he is stripped or reduced in rank.
While stressing that “this clumsy act never occurred before,” he said he believes Hoyte should explore his legal options. “Once he is promoted in error, he cannot be relieved of his rank like that. It was the Commission’s fault,” he said.
Meanwhile Secretary to the Commission Jaigobin Jaisingh said a government order, outlining new salaries for the promoted ranks, is in the final stages and once this has been completed there can be no rescinding of any promotion.
He explained that the Force Administration has to send the officers’ current salaries and what would be their new salaries to the PSC. He said the document was received last Thursday and he was moving to issue the government order, which is an instrument which authorises the Force Administration and the Ministry of Finance to make payments for those officers. “When that is completed that means that the promotion is complete and that the officers will be paid their respective salary for their rank from January 1, 2015,” Jaisingh said.
