Rohee slams Top Cop for objections to Police Reform under his watch

Rohee also believes that Seelall may have attempted to besmirch his character in the process and denigrate the efficacy of the Strategic Management Department at the Guyana Police Force.

Rohee slams Top Cop for objections to Police Reform under his watch

Former Minister with responsibility for Security under the People’s Progressive Party government, Clement Rohee has slammed the sitting Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, over comments he made regarding the Strategic Management Department.

According to a recent media report, Seelall announced that the Strategic Management Department was being closed down, hinting that it has outlived its usefulness.

But Rohee, who is the immediate past government Minister with responsibility for the Guyana Police Force said Seelall’s comments were a disrespect for what was a Cabinet decision of the PPP/C administration.

Rohee also believes that Seelall may have attempted to besmirch his character in the process and denigrate the efficacy of the Strategic Management Department at the Guyana Police Force.

In a letter to the Editor on Wednesday, Mr. Rohee referenced the media report and attempted to set the record straight and said Seelall’s comments were “disingenuous and duplicitous”.

He reminded that the setting up of the Department followed recommendations by the UK-based Capita Symmonds Consultancy which were adopted by the Guyana Police Force’s senior management/administration and other ranks under the watchful eye of the then Commissioner of Police Henry Greene.

Rohee believes that with the passing of Henry Greene and the retirement of his successor, Leroy Brumell “certain members of the crop of senior ranks that rose to the top of the GPF became openly resistant and intolerant to the work of the civilian-led SMD.”

He said principal among those who considered the SMD and the Ministry of Home Affairs as intrusive were Seelall Persaud, Balram Persaud (deceased) and David Ramnarine.

“The records of meetings held between the Ministry of Home Affairs, SMD (GPF) and Police Change Team stored at the Ministry of Home Affairs now Ministry of Public Security, would attest to the behavior of certain members of the Police Change Team at those meetings,” Rohee said.

“The fact of the matter is, there are elements at the senior management level of the Force who never supported police reform nor the transformation of the GPF vis-a-vis implementation of the strategic plan drafted by the UK-based consultancy group, Capita Symmonds and more especially, where a civilian-led Strategic Management Department was to oversee implementation of the said plan in collaboration with the Police Change team,” he added.

Rohee said no Commissioner of Police has the authority to unilaterally close down a department set up by a government based on a Cabinet decision, nor should he do so without going through the process which the Force went through before endorsing the Strategic Plan and accepting the establishment of the Department.

He believes that the government is laying the basis for acceptance of a New Strategic Plan for the GPF which is currently being formulated by another UK-based Olive Group Consultancy currently in Guyana.

He claimed that the department was replaced with a parallel department of junior ranks. Rohee said what is being shut down is the current strategic and implementation plans and is being replacing them with a New Strategic and implementation plan formulated by the UK-based Olive Group Consultancy.

“The Commissioner of Police must stop shielding the Minister of Public Security on this matter he has no authority to close down the SMD of the GPF and finally, the Minister of Public Security must stop hiding behind the Commissioner of Police and tell the Nation what are the government’s intentions with respect to Police reform and implementation of the current strategic and implementation plans,” he noted.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login