In a week when there appeared to be no relenting in public criticism of aspects of the modus operandi of the Guyana Police Force (GFF), the country’s two leading private sector business organizations, the Private Sector Commission and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) appeared to be on diametrically opposite sides on the issue of aspects of policing, not least the seeming operational anomalies in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the importance of credible investigations into key aspects of its adherence to its ‘Service And Protection’ motto.
On Tuesday, July 24, the news agency, Demerarawaves, posted a story that quoted the Private Sector Commission as saying that it had no problem with the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), a Department within the Force, investigating alleged corruption in that law enforcement agency. The PSC’s pronouncement immediately attracted public attention since the fact that SOCU is a substantive Branch of the Force meant that it appeared the PSC was advocating that it had no difficulty with the Police investigating itself. Indeed, Chairman of the PSC, Komal Singh, had also been quoted by Demerarawaves as saying that “SOCU was designed… to be that source to do police investigation and other investigation as it was earmarked to do.” According to Demerarawaves Online News, Singh was saying that in light of grave concerns about procurement-related corruption, where he described SOCU as an “independent agency”. Singh said the police force has “many, many good officers with high integrity” and the few should not be used to damage the character of the entire law enforcement agency.