GPF drags Police Service Commission boss, ex senior cops to court

Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe

With several serving and retired members of the Guyana Police Force before the courts facing a number of criminal charges, the Guyana Police Force is not yet done with throwing either former or serving members of the force before the court for various offences.

On Tuesday, two former Assistant Commissioners of Police were arrested in connection with alleged fraud that surrounds the reported acceptance of payment for works that they did not do or which was either reportedly incomplete.

Arrested and placed on self-bail to appear in court this morning are Ivlaw Whitaker and Clinton Conway, both retired Assistant Commissioners of Police. They are joined by a number of other senior retired ranks. Clinton Conway sits on the Police Service Commission as a Commissioner.

Chairman of the Police Service Commission and retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slow was also slated to be arrested on Tuesday but that did not take place as the flight he was expected to arrive on Tuesday, showed up without him. That arrest is expected to be effected today once Slowe arrives.

The Director of Public Prosecution has recommended that Slowe be charged with sexual assault from a matter dating back to two years ago where a female officer made allegations that he reportedly sexually assaulted her on three occasions.

BIG Smith News Watch was told that in those instances, the female officered served on a committee that also reportedly had Slowe and others as members. We were told that when the female officer made the allegations about the alleged sexual assault on her by Slowe, the officer who she reported it to, did not act on it and the female officer was instead removed from the committee.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Andries Junor is also expected to check in with the Special Organised Crime Unit where he is expected to provide a statement and be questioned in relation to an ongoing investigation.

Immediate retired Commissioner of Police Leslie James is also of interest to the Special Organised Crime Unit. James was asked to provide a statement in relation to ten million dollars which he reportedly made available for payment to Slow, Conway, Whitaker and others to conduct a review of the existing Police Standing Orders.

The Guyana Police Force in a statement late Wednesday evening said that Leslie James was contacted on several occasions to come forward and provide a statement to the police in relation to the monies although he made promises to do so, up to the late Tuesday night, he did not.

The Police Service Commission was dragged before the courts by a number of police officers who felt that the commission was deliberately seeking to overstep them by promoting junior ahead of them and persons who were in some cases lesser qualified and have little to no command experience.

Legal proceedings against the Police Service Commission were led by Deputy Commissioner Administration (ag) Calvin Brutus. That was followed by several other officers who joined his case thus creating a class action.

The Life of the Police Service Commission comes to an end in August of this year.