Government and Police tightlipped on Police corruption probe

President Irfaan Ali, Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken and Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit, Assistant Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, all dodged questions today on the ongoing investigations of alleged acts of corruption within the Guyana Police Force and the allegedly involvement of senior officers.

Just after launching the National Defence Institute, President Irfaan Ali was questioned on the issue by journalists, but said it is the Special Organised Crime Unit that is handling the matter, and he will not intrude.

“That’s a matter that is under investigation. That is a matter that SOCU is handling, and they are doing so independently, so I can’t give an update”, President Ali said.

Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken hopscotched around questions on the issue and said it is the Head of SOCU who should be asked questions about the investigations.

“I am not interfering with that matter, and I am giving them latitude to do exactly what they have to do”, Hicken said.

Contacted today by News Source, the Head of SOCU, Assistant Commissioner Karimbaksh would only say that the investigations are ongoing. He denied reports in another section of the press that the probe has been “drawing blanks”.

Almost two months ago, Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus proceeded on leave to allow an investigation into claims against him of financial impropriety amid reports of widespread corruption in the Police Force.

Mr. Brutus has been relatively silent on the issue, but the investigation against him has been widespread. As part of the investigations, SOCU sought and was granted an order to freeze a bank account which was reportedly linked to Mr. Brutus’ wife.

The investigators have also been examining the accounts of the Police Force’s Credit Union after noticing some accounts with unusually large deposits.