Deputy Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken has been appointed to act as the country’s Commissioner of Police as office holder Nigel Hoppie heads into pre-retirement leave.
Hicken’s appointment took effect today. “It’s from today. Technically the commissioner acting [ Hoppie], his leave started from today,” Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn told Stabroek News this afternoon in an invited comment.
Hicken has served the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a number of capacities over the years, including as Commander of the then ‘A’ Division (Georgetown) and ‘B’ Division (Berbice).
Before he was appointed as acting Commissioner of Police he headed the GPF’s Operations.
Ahead of Hoppie proceeding on leave, retired Assistant Commissioner Clinton Conway had suggested that Deputy Commissioner Paul Williams, in keeping with the Public Service rules, should be selected to act by virtue of his seniority until a substantive appointment is made. “But Paul Williams who is the next senior Deputy Commissioner may not be given the right to act as persons in authority have flagrantly violated the letter, spirit and intent of some of the most sacrosanct constitutional procedures,” he, however, said in a letter to the editor of this newspaper.
Conway had also recommended that Williams be selected as the next Commissioner of Police.
Section 211 (1) of the Constitution states, “the Commissioner of Police and every Deputy Commissioner of Police shall be appointed by the President acting after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition and Chairperson of the Police Service Commission after the Chairperson has consulted with other members of the Commission.”
There is currently no Leader of the Opposition after the sudden resignation of Joseph Harmon in January.
During Harmon’s almost 18-month-long tenure, President Irfaan Ali did not engage him on any of the substantive appointments that require consultation between the president and the opposition leader, including that of the Police Commissioner.
