Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edgar Thomas is now the head of the Presidential Guard Service, a unit which is responsible for the security of both the President and Prime Minister.
Thomas on Tuesday confirmed with Stabroek News his appointment which was effective from that day.
This move came months after Thomas was relieved of his duties as Police Commander of Region 4(A) during the elections period.
Thoma’s appointment is also part of a recent shake-up within the Guyana Police Force since President Irfaan Ali took office on Sunday.
Thomas was relieved of his command as the head of Region Four (A) on March 5th, three days after Guyana held General and Regional Elections, after he reportedly failed to clear the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Region Four command centre of all persons in the wake of a bomb threat that day.
Stabroek News had previously reported that Thomas was spearheading the police operation at the GECOM Media Centre, which was also the office for the Returning Officer of District Four, when he received a telephone call from a rank informing him of his transfer.
This newspaper was informed that Thomas was removed after he reportedly refused to remove several persons, including GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj, and clear the premises following the bomb scare.
Reports are that the instruction was reportedly given to Thomas by a Deputy Superintendent of Police; a lower rank that the one Thomas holds.
Thomas worked for years as the Force’s IT specialist
Many had deemed his immediate transfer as “unfair”.
In a letter published in this newspaper, former Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee had described the transfer of Thomas as “grossly unfair” and “flagrantly high-handed” and had accused Commissioner of Police Leslie James of failing to execute his duties.
He said that a Deputy Superintendent of Police cannot give orders nor instructions to an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
To do so, is to be highly disrespectful and insubordinate to a superior officer, Rohee had said, adding that it is worse if it is attempted whilst the superior officer is in operational mode.
