Police Communications Unit under the microscope

Home Affairs Minster Robeson Benn will have to explain to the National Assembly whether the recently established Corporate Communications Unit of the Guyana Police Force was created in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Force.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister, APNU/AFC Member of Parliament Geeta Chandan-Edmond has tabled several questions related to the Unit. The Unit is public relations arm of the Guyana Police Force and is headed by two civilians former newspaper editor Mark Ramotar as its head and broadcaster Stan Gouveia as its Deputy.

Additionally, the MP wants Minister Benn to state whether the roles of these new employees overlap those of police officers “who have been trained and assigned to perform these tasks.”

The PR department was previously headed by officers who were trained in communications and public relations.

Chandan-Edmond is asking the Minister to explain under which authority the unit was established if it was not established under the Force’s standing orders.

Among the other questions of the Home Affairs Minister is whether the positions of the Director and Deputy Director were advertised and what criteria used in selecting the two persons.

The Shadow Home Affairs Minister also wants the Minister to provide copies of the terms of the contracts for these appointments along with their qualifications, duties, and responsibilities along with details of other “allowances and benefits are afforded to the Director and Deputy Director, which are not included in their contracts.”

The Minister is also being asked to provide what additional costs, if any, are attached to the services render by the Director and Deputy Director.

There is no date yet for the next sitting of the National Assembly.