Home Affairs Minister hammers Police Force over Corruption, Questionable Accounting Practices and Senior Officers who can be bought

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn believes the time for patting the Guyana Police Force on its back is over.

At a Police Anniversary Symposium this morning, the Home Affairs Minister said there appears to be significant accountability challenges in the Force, particularly in the area of procurement, which seems to be a “cash a cow” for some.

He said while the Force should be commended for its crime fighting and other capabilities, issues of accountability cannot be swept under the carpet.

The Home Affairs Minister said all officers of the Guyana Police Force must hold the banner of honesty high, adding that recent reports related to accountability in the Force have put a dent in the Force’s image.

He said with the accountability problem facing the Police Force, and the lack of response to questions about those issues, a full audit will be carried out on the Force’s finances, financial dealings and procurement practices.

“And so, there will starting to be investigations and audits into the Guyana Police Force and also in relation to the other two agencies. If a Policeman on the road decides to do right or left, and people left money, it’s a discredit to him and the Force in the public. If we cannot account for money in the procurement process and monies pours its ways, it should not be, then there is a problem because I have to account for it at the Parliament and other places, we have a Procurement Commission, an Auditor General and an Integrity Commission, all will have to fall in line in tidying up and cleaning up this problem,” Benn said.

According to the Home Affairs Minister, if money from the Force is channelled to places it should not be, then it means there is massive corruption and collusion.

He said there have been cases of fake invoices and payments being made for those invoices.

“And if people think they can hide and carry money wherever and whatever, and that we wouldn’t find out, you don’t need a doctorate to find out, we want new, accountable policing, we want new and improved and honest work done, we want to see that that paper trail is not fraudulent”, the Home Affairs Minister said.

He said the symposium hosted by the Force should confront the issue of corruption in the Police Force with a view to root it out completely.

Minister Benn said if the issue of corruption has reached the cancer stage in the Force, swift treatment should be offered. He said complaints about corruption in the Guyana Police Force has been mounting.

“Police must not extort people. Police must not wait for things to build up and get worse and then to intervene only to find people in a situation where they have to pay money, where they have to pay bribes, this must stop,” and irritated Benn said.

Benn also took aim to Senior officers who he said flaunt money and jewellery, describing them as ‘men who could be bought.’

“And the Police Commanders and all those who find themselves in authority must not think that arriving at the job, that they need to award and reward themselves and to walk around with plenty gold and diamond around their neck and their fingers—if they have that, it means they are men who could be bought, I can buy, because that’s what you like and you flaunt it, it must stop, it must stop!” Benn told an extremely quiet Police Mess Hall.

The Minister’s statements were made today even as the an investigation is being carried out into allegations of financial impropriety that have targeted Assistant Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus, who has since proceeded on annualized leave, to allow the investigation to take place.