Jagdeo against SOCU separation from police

Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo has criticised suggested plans to separate the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), while warning that it would be used as a political weapon.

“When you transfer these powers to bodies that report to ministers or Office of the President, that’s when it becomes a black hole and they would be influenced to take political actions against opponents,” Jagdeo said at a news conference at Freedom House on Thursday.

Attorney-General Basil Williams on Tuesday said that since SOCU was set up under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) legislation, it is important that it performs its core functions related to the legislation “and that it is not burdened with other police work,” which would stymie the operations of the organisation and retard progress under the AML/CFT regime.