President Irfaan Ali yesterday appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken to act as the country’s Commissioner of Police as Nigel Hoppie who was holding the position in an acting capacity heads into pre-retirement leave.
The Office of the Presi-dent in a statement issued yesterday afternoon said that Hicken’s appointment takes effect from tomorrow.
“His Excellency Dr Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces today appointed Mr Clifton Hicken to act in the Office of the Commission-er of Police in the Guyana Police Force,” the statement said.
Hoppie proceeded on pre-retirement leave on Sunday, the statement added. Stabroek News was informed that Hoppie’s accumulated leave will run until late this year. He is slated to retire in early 2023.
Contacted yesterday, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn told Stabroek News “Hicken would have naturally fallen into the position”.
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). He was also the Head of the Force Training Centre.
Before he was appointed as acting Commissioner of Police he headed the Police Force’s Operations.
In January 2020, Hicken was posted to the Ministry of the Presidency’s, Department of Citizenship. The reason for that move remains unknown.
In August of the same year, he was appointed to head the force’s Opera-tions. He replaced Deputy Commissioner, Maxine Graham who proceeded on pre-retirement leave.
It is believed that Hicken has been appointed to hold the position temporarily until there is a selection process and a new Commissioner of Police is named.
Guyana’s Constitution states that the President can appoint a Commission-er of Police and Deputy Commissioners of Police only after consulting with the Opposition Leader and Chairperson of the Police Service Commission (PSC) after the Chairperson has consulted with the other members of the Commission.
There is presently no Leader of the Opposition and a new PSC is still to be composed.
`Plainly
unconstitutional’
According to the hierarchy of the force, Deputy Commissioner of Police Paul Williams is the most senior rank after Hoppie.
In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) warned that it will be moving to the courts over what it said was the “illegal” appointment of Hicken.
The PNCR reminded the Government of the Public Service Rule which states that acting appointments must be given to the most senior officer. “Based on the current structure and line of statutory succession, Deputy Police Com-missioner Paul Williams remains the next in line. Mr Clifton Hicken is an Assistant Commissioner and therefore, is junior in rank to Mr Williams,” the party said.
“To promote Mr. Hicken to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police or to have him act in the office is a blatant violation of the Constitution, and will be challenged in a court of law,” it added.
It further stated that in the temporary absence of a Leader of the Opposition and the Police Service Commission, any appointment of Commissioner of Police or Deputy Commissioners of Police is “plainly unconstitutional”.
The PNCR is therefore calling on the Government to rescind Hicken’s appointment and allow for a process of “full transparency, legality and meritocracy” within the force.
Earlier this month, President Ali had assured that the selection process for the appointment of a new Commissioner of Police will be done in keeping with the constitution.
“When the time comes for the appointment of a Commissioner of Police, that process will be followed as defined by the constitution of Guyana. There is no need for second guessing. When the time comes for appointment, the process established in the constitution will be followed,” Ali had told journalist Gordon Moseley during an interview.
In August 2020, Hoppie was selected as the acting Commissioner of Police following a shake-up in the force due to two of its most senior members proceeding on pre-retirement leave.
Hoppie acted in the capacity for almost eighteen months. During this period he was not confirmed neither was there a selection process to name his successor due to the present state of the PSC.
In December last year, Parliament’s Committee on Appointments nominated four individuals to sit on the new PSC. The four persons are Ernesto Choo-a-Fat, businessman; Lloyd Mark Conway, attorney at law; Hakeem Mohamed, businessman; and Patrick Anthony Findlay.
In a letter to Stabroek News, which was published on February 19, Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway recommended that Williams be selected as the next Commissioner of Police.
“I am of the opinion that Paul Williams is a fit and proper person to be appointed as the next Commissioner of Police. He is not a paragon of virtue. He is more academically and professionally qualified and senior to the other contenders. He has clean hands, a warm heart, a cool head and a passion for the job and God,” Conway stated in the letter.
In 2018, Williams was promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Police by former President David Granger. Williams was also among the nominees who were interviewed by Granger for the post of Commissioner of Police. However, he was not selected.
