Police Service Commission fires former SWAT Boss

Former police officer: Motie Dookie

Former Head of the Guyana Police Force SWAT Unit, Motie Dookie was fired on Monday by the Paul Slowe headed Police Service Commission.

It was back on December 30, 2017 that Motie Dookie was pulled over at a roadblock on the Corentyne in a vehicle which was ferrying thirty cases of smuggled Johnny Walker Whiskey. Dookie was served his termination letter on the second year anniversary of that Whiskey scandal in which the bus driver subsequently claimed ownership of while Dookie claimed he was unaware of the contents which were in the back of the vehicle.

Since then, Motie Dookie has been navigating some rough patches along the way as he continue to serve the police force. He was first removed as head of the SWAT Unit before and then several months after, sent on leave by then acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine.

At the time, substantive Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan was out of the jurisdiction and when Dookie was sent on leave ‘in the public’s interest’ Minister Felix was performing the duties of Security Minister.

Upon his return, Ramjattan publicly stated that he would have preferred if Dookie was not sent on leave. “I would have preferred him working to tell the honest truth” Ramjattan told a news conference in May 2018.

Dookie on the ground that it was only the Police Service Commission that has the authority to send him on leave, challenged the decision and was sent back to the job. The court also ordered the then acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine and Attorney General Basil Williams to pay him costs. At the time he was sent on leave, a Police Service Commission was not constituted.

Then came the new Police Service Commission headed by retired Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Slowe, supported by a number of other retired Assistant Commissioners of Police.

That commission began looking into pending matters involving officers and the matter of the Whiskey Scandal was among them. Dookie was then demoted from Deputy Superintendent to Assistant Superintendent of police.

DOOKIE IN FOCUS

Motie Dookie joined the Guyana Police Force as a constable and moved through the junior ranks where he attained the rank of sergeant. At that rank, he was sent to be part of the Cadet Course at the Guyana Defence Force, a course he successfully completed and graduated as a cadet.

He was then called in after it was found that the certificates he presented in order to be enrolled into the course had discrepancies. That resulted in then Commissioner of Police Henry Green initiating a process which saw Dookie being demoted to the rank of sergeant and sent to an outstation.

While at Timehri Police Station, a rank was shot with a weapon which Dookie had in his possession. Dookie claimed the weapon went on as he was cleaning it. His weapon was taken away and an internal probe launched. Somewhere along the line tho, the injured rank indicated that he no longer wished to provide evidence against Dookie and that matter died.

Motie Dookie would continue to be serve the Guyana Police Force without bearing arms but following the intervention of a senior regional official from Region 2 to then President Donald Ramotar, Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell was instructed to return Dookie’s weapon and that was done.