Stabroek News was recently informed by one of its main sources that ranks within the ‘B’ Division’s (Berbice) administration are on the hunt for the persons who have spoken out to the media levelling allegations of corruption against a senior officer of the force, who is allegedly aided by several junior ranks within the division.
The source said he has received information that senior persons within the division identified two ranks on the Corentyne, who they claim could have been the sources behind the stories in this publication.
According to the rank, they were waiting to see whether those persons would be contacted to give statements as part of an investigation, however, they were not. Instead, they were reportedly transferred from where they were stationed.
Stabroek News attempted to confirm this information with senior officers within the division and force, however, calls to their phones went unanswered yesterday.
A usually reliable source within the division confirmed that he too had heard that the names of two ranks were called as the “sources” and they were transferred. According to the source, he is aware that since the articles have been published, senior ranks have been on the hunt for the sources.
Furthermore, he said to his knowledge, one of the accused in the articles, the Lance Corporal on the Corentyne, has since been transferred from one sub-division to another within ‘B’ Division. He is reportedly now stationed at the New Amsterdam Police Station.
Notably, calls to senior officers have been unanswered since the stories broke in the press. The force has remained completely silent on the matter. To the surprise of both the sources and citizens, the force, to date, has failed to either confirm that an investigation is ongoing or outright deny any allegations.
Stabroek News’ sources have noted that they are beginning to worry whether they will fall victims to a witch hunt, since it seems as though the corruption allegations will be swept under the rug once again.
The Sunday Stabroek reported that over the weekend, another police rank levelled major allegations against a member of the Guyana Police Force leadership, who he said has been running corruption rackets in ‘B’ Division.
The rank, who has seniority, told Sunday Stabroek that he opted to speak out after he saw junior ranks breaking their silence on the state of affairs in the division, where the senior officer had once been stationed. The senior officer is presently stationed in Georgetown.
“When he call you and tell you take care of a matter, you got to do what he say or is problem for you,” the rank explained, while noting that the senior officer has “business friends” around ‘B’ Division, whom he protects.
Furthermore, the source said there are other reports of the businessman assaulting workers and complaints being covered up by the police at the behest of the senior officer. “That man [the businessman] control over there [West Coast Berbice]. If anything happen, people call he [businessman] and he does collect what he got to collect for [the senior officer] and pass over the thing,” he said.
A number of ranks told Stabroek News last week that the senior officer was well known in Berbice as the person to contact when in trouble. They had said he is often seen at a known gambling spot in Rose Hall, Corentyne, where he receives money from persons to ensure certain matters are settled in their favour.
The ranks spoke out after they said the numbers of four fellow policemen were discovered in a phone belonging to accused bandit Kelvin Shivgobin, who was killed in the recent shootout at Black Bush Polder. They called for an independent investigation as they say the four are engaged in corrupt practices and are being aided by the senior officer.
