“I would have sent him home; let the matter run its course”- Teixeira on Karimbaksh rape probe

October 1, 2026

Rape-accused Deputy Commissioner of Police Fizal Karimbaksh’s continued presence on the job seems to tell the story of a government’s willingness to protect those who have godfathers and close links with persons within the halls of power. It also exposes weak human resource practices and a lack of will or outright reluctance to operate within established protocols and standard operating procedures.

On Monday, Minister of Government Gail Teixeira was asked to comment on the matter.

“The issue of him going on leave, if it was me in the Ministry of Home Affairs and I had the power to send home a Deputy Commissioner of Police, I would have, but I am not; until the matter is over. I mean persons have been sent on leave in the public service for various issues, some serious, some minor,” Gail Teixeria, a former Minister of Home Affairs and now sitting Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, said in an invited comment.

Karimbaksh is accused of raping a female police officer twice and also placing a gun to her head, threatening to shoot and kill her. The woman made an official report to the police after visiting the office of Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond, to whom she reported the details of the ordeals. Since then, several calls have been made for Karimbaksh to go home, but those calls continue to fall on deaf ears, even in light of protests outside Karimbaksh’s office.

Appointments of Deputy Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner of Police lie with the President of Guyana after consultation with the Opposition Leader. The Minister of Home Affairs, who is an aide to the President, has the power to act on behalf of the President; in this case, the powers to send Fizal Karimbaksh home remain with the President of Guyana and the Minister of Home Affairs.

“I think that it is very clear; the matter is to be investigated, he should be charged, and the matter should run its course in court like everybody else who is charged with such serious crimes,” Teixeira told BIG Smith News Watch.

She stated that where the evidence is concerned, once those are found to support a claim and allegation, indeed what is alleged took place, then charges should be laid and the matter sent to court.

“If you are righteous, don’t give up, keep pressing, don’t be afraid, the law is there to protect you” was the concluding comment Minister Teixeira had for the victim in this matter and all other women who are suffering abuse and various forms of violence.

Gail Teixeira has been with the PPP since 1976, serving in various capacities, including the Women Progressive Organization’s personal secretary to Cheddi Jagan.