Assistant Police Commissioner, Edgar Thomas was booted from his post as Commander of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Sub-division ‘A’ with immediate effect after he refused to remove local and international observers and PPP’s Commissioners from the Ashmin’s Building on Thursday evening.
According to a source, Thomas was given marching orders and was told that he would be transferred but is still to be notified by the Force as to which location.
Inews understands that a Deputy Police Commissioner was instructed to informed Thomas of his transfer with immediate effect.
The source told Inews that Thomas, when given the instructions to clear the building refused to do same in order to ensure that the tensions among various sides did not escalate.
“Thomas and at least one Deputy Police Commissioner discussed whether it was legal for him to do that and he stated to his superiors that in his opinion and in the level of professionalism, he didn’t have the authority to remove them. He did communicate it to his seniors but the order was given for him to be permanently removed as Commander immediately after he expressed such”.
Inews was further told that after the APC assessed the situation on the ground on Thursday evening, he concluded that the persons should not be removed and made a “judgement call.”
“Although they closed off, those persons in the building asked the then Commander Thomas to stay in the building to see that the Statements of Polls were secured properly before leaving. But the order was that they be removed immediately without observing and ensuring the integrity of the documents there. He made the right choice to ensure democracy and transparency and also he felt, in all his years of experience, that it would have been unlawful at that point.”
Following APC Thomas’ refusal to his superiors to comply with their apparently unlawful instructions, a rank junior to him was sent to clear the building, while he was relieved of his duties as Commander.
Currently, Deputy Commander, Phillip Azure has been placed as acting Commander of Region Four, while a Superintendent of Police has been elevated to Deputy Commander in the interim.
Only a few months ago, APC Thomas was placed in the Division after Assistant Commissioner of Police Marlon Chapman went into retirement.
