Retired Assistant Police Commissioner Clinton Conway and retired Senior Superintendent George Fraser were arrested by the Police today on the orders of the Special Organised Crime Unit as the Unit probes allegations of fraud against a number of senior retired Police Officers.

The allegations are related to payments made to the retired Officers by the Police Force for consultation services and the reviewing and revision of the Standing Orders of the Police Force.

Retired Commissioner Clinton Conway speaking to News Source from the Brickdam Police station where he was detained, said he is surprised and shocked by the move to arrest him and other senior Officers.

Mr. Conway explained that back in 2019, he was invited along with other senior retired Officers to a meeting with the then Police Commissioner Leslie James at the Police Force’s Headquarters.

He said other Senior Police Officers were part of the meeting.

Conway explained that at the meeting, the retired Officers were asked to review and revise the Standing Orders of the Police Force and make recommendations.

The group was given an office in the Strategic Management Unit of the Force to do the work. The retired Senior Officers were paid a monthly stipend for their services and were monitored by the Strategic Management Unit.

The engagement came to an end in the run-up to last year’s elections as the same facility was needed for the housing of officers during the elections.

“They said they would be paying us $3000 an hour for the work we were doing and there was no deadline in terms of the project…we got payment several times…this morning SOCU came to me at my workplace and told me they were investigating me for fraud. I told them they have to tell me exactly what they are investigating me for. The Officer said I am inviting you to the SOCU office and I said well since you are inviting me, I’ll turn down the invitation and he then said that is arresting me. He arrested me and took me down to SOCU where they took my photographs and they sent me to the Brickdam Police station and brought me here where I am still”, Conway explained.

The former Assistant Commissioner said two other former Assistant Police Commissioners including the current Chairman of the Police Service Commission Paul Slowe were part of the Standing Orders review team.

He believes efforts will also be made to arrest them.

Mr. Conway, who is also a member of the Police Service Commission said he believes the allegations and the investigations are meant to get back at him and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission Paul Slowe over their decision to block the promotion of some senior Police Officers.

“I feel that they want to get at me and Paul Slowe. We are members of the Police Service Commission, he (Slowe) is the Chairman and we had denied Karimbash who is the head of SOCU and Brutus who is in charge of Administration, promotions and they took us to Court and one of the cases is on Monday for ruling…and so apparently they are looking at me and Paul Slowe”, Conway said.

The former Assistant Police Commissioner who served the Guyana Police Force for 39 years without any issue said he is shocked at the treatment now being meted out to him by the same Police Force.

“I am shocked and its only because I don’t want to get on like Ryan Crawford but I am shocked. I gave 39 years of unbroken service, quality service to the Police Force…and this is our reward for helping to revive the Police Standing Orders”, Mr. Conway told News Source.

He said all of the work and recommendations completed during the review and revision of the Police Force’s Standing Orders was was left with the Police Force and it is quality work that was done by a team of quality professionals who served the Force.

Conway said his Attorneys are already looking into the matter and he has received calls from around the region and North America from persons who expressed their worry about the arrests and the allegations being made against the former Senior Officers.

The Guyana Police Force has not offered any information on the arrests and the investigations.

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