In light of the damning allegations that not only rogue policemen were helping the now dead bandits who wreaked havoc in Berbice in the recent months but that a senior police officer –specifically a Deputy Police Commissioner – was also a part of this network, there should be a Commission of Inquiry (COI) set up to probe this matter.
This is according to Berbice’s Regional Chairman, David Armogan, who told this media group that such serious allegations warrant an independent body to conduct investigations into the matter so as to allow for a fair probe as well as prevent victimisation of police ranks who are willing to testify.
“The idea of asking police who are suspected to be whistle blowers to make a statement is a ridiculous one because no policeman in their right senses who would want to stay on their job is going to give evidence to that effect that an Officer is involved. They are not going to take that risk because obviously they would be discriminated against and most likely they will find a way of getting them out of the Force,” the Regional Chairman noted.
He stated that while the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the government have both declared that investigations are on-going by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), it is wiser to have persons outside of the local law enforcement agencies lead the probe.
“They should not ask the police to investigate such a matter. They should have set up an independent team to investigate and to be able to talk to some of these officers without disclosing their names so that you have the evidence and are not incriminating people and risking their jobs. And then you will also have the facts upon which you can proceed.”
According to Armogan, the Berbice Regional Democratic Office (RDC), has been receiving sporadic reports from concerned citizens in that county inclusive of police officers that are questioning the next step that can and will be taken to deal with this matter.
Quite recently, ranks in Berbice, made some damning allegations against their colleagues, one of which was that a detective rank was closely connected with the criminal network that terrorised and traumatised residents in the Ancient County between April and May last.
According to a police source, the detective rank in question is a Lance-Corporal who was stationed at the Rose Hall Police Station and upon the above-mentioned allegation, he was transferred to the New Amsterdam Police Station.
These allegations came on the heels of the discovery of the rank’s cellphone number in the phone of now dead criminal Kelvin ‘Kelly’ Shivgobin, who was shot and killed recently in the backlands of Black Bush Polder during a shootout with the police.
It was further claimed that the alleged corrupt rank is “being shielded” by a high-ranking officer who is presently stationed outside of ‘B’ Division.
