The months-long investigation into alleged corrupt practices involving Deputy Commissioner of Police Lyndon Alves has ended with him being cleared of any criminal conduct, Commissioner of Police Leslie James said yesterday.
“What I can say to you is that the investigation has been completed and I have obtained a file and in terms of criminal conduct Mr Alves has been cleared,” James told reporters yesterday afternoon.
James was at the time responding to questions during an interview following the opening of the Parfaite Harmonie Police Station.
When asked about the next step, James said that the force is currently dealing with “some administrative” issues.
“Well, internally, administratively, there [are] some other issues we are dealing with and that is the final position,” he added.
He refused to divulge whether Alves is expected to be back on the job soon.
In late June, Alves, the Crime Chief, was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the exposure of a network of alleged corruption in the Guyana Police Force’s ‘B’ Division (Berbice).
The move came days after the force broke its silence on media reports of corrupt activities in the division by stating that an internal investigation was being undertaken by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
A number of police officers had spoken out about alleged corrupt practices in the division.
Several policemen, on condition of anonymity, told this newspaper about corruption associated with a senior officer.
Ranks, who say they were breaking their silence after their reports about his activities fell on deaf ears within the division, also identified several junior ranks who had reportedly aided the senior rank in his activities, which were said to include offering protection from prosecution to persons accused of crimes.
In Stabroek News’ first report, a group of junior ranks spoke out about a Lance Corporal and other ranks who were alleged to have been linked to a murder accused, Kelvin Shivgobin, who was killed during a shootout with police in Black Bush Polder, Berbice.
It was alleged that their numbers were found stored and in the call log of Shivgobin’s cellphone. The senior officer was accused of protecting those ranks linked to the dead man as they purportedly aided him in his activities in the division.
The senior rank in question also allegedly accused two detective constables in ‘B’ Division of being sources behind news reports, which resulted in them being transferred.
Prior to this, it was alleged that two police ranks linked to the corruption racket in Berbice had been fingered in a plot to kill another police officer.
A reliable source stated that information has been circulating indicating that two officers referenced in previous Stabroek News articles were promised a total of $3 million to carry out the hit.
The source said that the ranks in question allegedly received $1.4 million and were promised that the remaining amount would be paid once the job was completed.
The money, according to information provided to this newspaper, was paid from a known drug dealer to the Detective Constable in the East Bank Berbice area.
Stabroek News was told that senior officers in ‘B’ Division were furnished with the information about the alleged hit on the officer. However, they reportedly asked that the informant providing the information to the sources be brought to them.
Even more frightening to ranks within the division was the fact that the rank who was allegedly paid to carry out the hit had been fingered in the execution-style killing of a policeman in September of 2012.
In that case, Detective Constable 20682, Jirbahan Dianand, 23, of Lot 70, Number 64 Village, Corentyne, was found dead, shot in the head execution-style in his car along the road at Jackson Creek, Corentyne.
After the allegations were published, several police officers were transferred.
Alves was appointed the post of Crime Chief in September last year. Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston is currently acting as the country’s Crime Chief.
