Two days before the Chief Justice is set to hand down her ruling in a case against the Police Service Commission filed by two Officers who didn’t get promoted, President Irfaan Ali has suspended all of the members of the Police Service Commission including the Chairman of the Commission, retired Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Slowe.

In letters dispatched this afternoon to the Chairman and Members of the Commission, President Irfaan Ali announced that he was suspending them and setting up a tribunal to look into their full removal as members of the Police Service Commission.

The President’s letter stated that his decision is based on the advice of the Prime Minister who had written to the Police Service Commission members requesting them to show cause why they should not be removed as members over a decision by the Police Service Commission to join an Opposition filed Court matter against the Government about their budgetary allocations and independence.

The PSC members had indicated that they had no choice but to join the lawsuit like other Service Commissions did after the Government refused to provide funding for the Commission to defend itself in the lawsuit filed by the senior officers who were not promoted.

The President did not set a timeline for the establishment of the tribunal but he indicated to the PSC members that their suspension is with immediate effect.

The latest move by the Government against the members of the Police Service Commission follows the Commission Chairman’s decision to reveal attempts by the President to get the Commission to promote his people in the Guyana Police Force.

The Chairman Paul Slowe in responding to recent charges that were filed against him, proclaimed his innocence and said the charges were instituted because of the decision by the Commission not to promote Senior Superintendents Fazil Karimbaksh and Calvin Brutus.

Those are the same officers who have filed a Court matter over the decision by the Police Service Commission not to promote them. They are also the same Officers who Mr. Slowe said the President was trying to get the Commission to promote.

The Chief Justice was originally expected to hand down her decision in the promotion matter at the end of May, but she announced a decision to delay that ruling until this coming Friday, the 18th June.

The suspended Police Service Commission Chairman Paul Slowe this afternoon told News Source that he is not at all surprised by the President’s move and the timing of it.

He said he is convinced that the Government wants there to be no Commission in place when the Court’s ruling is handed down this Friday. Slowe said he suspects that ruling will be in favour of the Commission.

Mr. Slowe has made it clear that he will fight to clear his name in the matters filed against him.

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