– Jagdeo says on allegation against Brutus
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday alluded to the allegations against a senior member of the Guyana Police Force during his outreach in Region Six where he said that the matter is being investigated and the chips will fall where they may.
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn had said that the allegations of financial impropriety made against Assistant Commissioner (ag) of Police, Calvin Brutus is being investigated by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).
“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.
SOCU is part of the Guyana Police Force and the decision for it to investigate the Deputy Commissioner has been seen as inappropriate. The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) called on Monday for an independent probe to be done of the allegations.
Reports had swirled around Brutus and others in the police force but Eve Leary had shrugged them off. The police force had said that there had been a rotation of personnel and it rejected allegations against Brutus which had surfaced on social media.
However, Brutus eventually asked to proceed on leave to enable an investigation of the allegations.
Jagdeo during an outreach yesterday in Region Six also pointed out that SOCU is investigating the allegations and that the chips will fall where they may.
According to the press statement released by the GCCI on Monday, 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.
