The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) yesterday expressed deep concern over recent revelations of corruption and financial impropriety within the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and is calling for an immediate independent investigation into the matter.
According to a press statement released by the GCCI, it is “repugnant” that individuals who have been entrusted with maintaining law and order in the country are engaging in malpractices, raising serious questions about the credibility and objectivity of the GPF. The Chamber says it believes that if the agents of the state responsible for maintaining stability and lawfulness are involved in malfeasance, they can no longer be trusted to uphold the standards they are supposed to enforce.
“The Guyana Police Force must not operate with impunity – in fact, the members of the Force must be held at a higher degree of accountability. Failure to act can be viewed as assenting to corruption, and this can lead to a descent into lawlessness,” the release continued.
The organization also highlighted that an independent probe is necessary in the interest of objectivity and transparency, as the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), which has been tasked with investigating these issues, is an arm of the GPF. The GCCI believes that these circumstances are “abhorrent and untenable” and calls for swift action to be taken, with those found culpable facing the full force of the law.
The Chamber’s statement comes on the heels of recent major revelations of corrupt acts by members of the joint services. In one instance, a Region 10 Constable was nabbed with 21 pounds of marijuana, while in another two GDF ranks were caught transporting 154 pounds of the same substance.
Public consternation has also arisen over claims of impropriety involving Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus.
On July 12th, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn said that the allegations of financial impropriety made against Brutus are being investigated by SOCU. This was despite the fact that SOCU is a part of the police force.
“Mr. Brutus has proceeded on leave to facilitate a full and complete investigation by SOCU. There will be no action in relation to any promotion of Mr. Brutus under these circumstances. Any promotion will be subject to the outcome of the investigation. SOCU has already commenced its investigation and the Government will be guided by the outcome of such investigation”, Benn said.
Reports had swirled around Brutus and others in the police force but Eve Leary had shrugged them off. Two weeks ago the police force said that there had been a rotation of personnel and it rejected allegations against Brutus which had surfaced on social media.
It subsequently said that Brutus had asked to proceed on leave to enable an investigation of the allegations.
The July 13th editorial in Stabroek News had raised the question of who would investigate the claims against Brutus.
It said: “Corruption and criminal behaviour remain major problems in the Guyana Police Force. It has been this way for decades under the PPP/C and runs the full gamut from `lef or write’ to all types of sophisticated schemes and outright criminality. It has never been addressed in any fundamental way as the PPP/C government’s desire for political control of the force requires it to make senior policemen beholden to it and to then use them.
“Under this administration there has been a remarkable amount of hoopla around the force that attempts to mask the deep-seated problems. There have been many well-meaning initiatives including frequent outreaches to communities but none of those things mean anything if corruption thrives and is underpinned by connections to the “business classes and organized crime. The current gold smuggling scandal and the failure of high-profile criminal investigations are reflective of the insidiousness of corruption in the force.
“If the GPF is serious about professionalism it will be reflected in the probe of the allegations against Deputy Commissioner (ag) Brutus”.
In recent addresses, Benn has also admonished the police over corruption.
In a strongly worded address at the Guyana Police Force’s 158th Anniversary Symposium on July 16, Benn called for introspection and accountability within the force and said that ranks must not extort people.
“Police must help people. Police must not extort people. Police must not wait for things to build up and get worse and then intervene only to put our fine people in a situation where they have to pay money, where they have to pay bribes. This must stop. And the police commanders and others who find themselves in authority must not think that arriving at the job that they need to award and reward themselves and to walk around with plenty gold and diamonds around the neck and the fingers. If they have that, it means they are men who could be bought. I can buy you because that’s what you like. And you flaunt it. It must stop… I have taken the position to make requests of the Guyana Police Force Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Commanders at various places. I have never gone out to write letters really to give directions or make demands. I make requests. If you don’t follow the request, if you delay it, if you undermine it, if there’s a steady disregard of the things we want you to do, it means we have a significant problem. And I’m saying here clearly there’s a significant problem”, he said.
