Dear Editor,
Please permit me space in your publication to write on a matter that has national, regional and international implications for the Guyana Police Force, Guyana and bilateral cooperation on transnational and other crimes.
The Special Organized Crime Unit or SOCU is an agency like the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch, (the intelligence arm of the force). SOCU’s operations and investigations should remain highly confidential because of the sensitivity of the information it handles and has access to. SOCU is a semiautonomous agency that falls under the Guyana Police Force, its current head Assistant Com-missioner of Police Fizal Karimbaksh. SOCU once was headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sydney James. During his tenure, the press received intermediate updates on serious and sensitive investigations but in a way not to prejudice ongoing investigations or impending court matters.
When SOCU heads an investigation, a multiplicity of agencies are involved – Central Bank, The Financial Intelligence Unit, the Courts, Government Ministries, Commercial Banks, DPP Chambers, and the Criminal Investigation Department, to name a few. SOCU is actively investigating claims of financial irregularities against Deputy Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus. A number of the agencies and institutions mentioned above are actively participating in the overall probe. From then to now, leaks during the investigations thus far have been in the public domain. Every move made by SOCU ends up in the public domain.
Because of SOCU’s mandate, the head of agency can approach the court for orders including but not limited to the freezing of assets, and details on banking and other information. A judge will more than likely grant SOCU the orders it seeks, on several principles, one of them being that the information that will be gathered or obtained by SOCU will be used for the sole purpose of its investigation.
Information ended up in the public domain of an order granted to SOCU to access the bank account of a junior police rank. The information in the public domain spoke of the alleged amount of funds previously held in that account. The court granted the order and nothing was known about that, the bank handed over the information and nothing was known about that, SOCU got access to the information and the entire public is aware of that. SOCU seeks to build against Calvin Brutus but that cause is already being tried in the court of public opinion.
The implications for what is taking place has far-reaching consequences. SOCU can find itself slapped with multiple lawsuits for breach of privacy.
Sincerely,
Leroy Smith
Journalist