Dear Editor,
President Dr Irfaan Ali is ‘spot on.’ He was so right when he stated, “I find it convenient and opportunistic that Mr Paul Slowe would make the accusation that I tried to influence him and the work of the Police Service Commission. This is not only far from the truth, but it is a malicious attempt to change the narrative.”
The President explained, “If Mr Slowe is saying I tried to influence him, where are the results of that influence?” I add that Mr Slowe must say in what areas President Ali tried to solicit some kind of collusion from him.
We are now learning that Mr Slowe is bringing the independence and professionalism of the PSC into question by aligning the PSC with Opposition member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul and retaining Opposition members of Parliament Roysdale Forde, Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman, Geeta Chandan-Edmond and Amanza Walton-Desir to institute proceedings against the Government of Guyana.
Now, I need to ‘stick a pin’ here, and revisit something of utmost importance. To accuse His Excellency of trying to influence him, Mr Slowe is committing an act that is tantamount to the desecration of a holy terrain. Mr Slowe in fact must remember that he was a tainted figure when he was made Chairman of the Police Service Commission.
Back in July 2018, then Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo did inform then President David Granger that he had hang-ups regarding Paul Slowe’s possible appointment to head the Police Service Commission. Jagdeo actually said Slowe, “…had ‘baggage’ which may cause him to be biased in carrying out his duties.”
I dare say the Vice President was accurately prophetic, and had his warnings been heeded by David Granger, maybe the present charges of fraud and sexual molestation would not have been hanging over the head of Slowe.
As we all know, Mr Slowe, Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), and eight others (retired senior ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have been jointly slapped with a fraud charge by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for allegedly conspiring to defraud the GPF of some $10M.
Of course Paul Slowe is denying that he conspired with others to defraud the Guyana Police Force of Gy$10 million, and that he had sexually assaulted a female Police officer. So now, through Attorney-at-Law Selwyn Pieters, Mr Slowe has indicated that he would be filing a lawsuit against the Police Force for sullying his name.
I call on Mr Slowe to explain the dilatory nature of this resort to besmirching the President. Let us remember that the Head of State met with Mr Slowe within the first few months of his Presidency, and that was more than eight months ago.
Yours truly,
Attiya Baksh
