PPP/C slams Top Cop for “politically skewed” statements on crime

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on Wednesday called on Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud to remain independent and to remember his oath as the Party roasted him for what it described as politically skewed statements made on the issue of crime during a recent exclusive interview with Guyana Times International.

The Party is completely flabbergasted by claims made by the Police Commissioner that crime is driven and influenced by the “political opposition”, given the fact that when its Party was in Office, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) never found it necessary to make such statements even when substantive and substantial evidence had revealed that the People’s National Congress (PNC) was greatly affiliated with the criminal underworld.

The Party insinuated that these wild statements by the Commissioner were made to ensure security of his tenure as Top Cop.

“Commissioner Seelall Persaud must know that rather than jumping on the bandwagon as if there is a threat to his security of tenure, on the contrary here in Guyana for a sitting Commissioner of Police there is no threat of job security,” the Party said in a release.

Guyana Times International had reported in its September 2 edition that the Police Commissioner related that it was extremely unfortunate that crime has grown to become a tool for all political Opposition to attack and defame the Government of the day.

However, in response, the PPP/C highlighted that in blaming the political Opposition as “undermining the efforts of the Police to fight crime” and to create “a perception” that crime is spiralling out of control, the Commissioner was stuck in denial mode and blatantly ignoring statistics which clearly reveal that the crime situation has reached unacceptable proportions.

“The Police themselves have admitted that there has been a 10 per cent increase in serious crimes as well as murders not to mention crimes committed with the use of a firearm all of which are clear indications that the situation has indeed spiralled out of control,” the Party pointed out, while dismissing those claims as disingenuous.

The Commissioner had also made reference to three occurrences where he believes the crimes in those scenarios were politically influenced. The Party pointed out that his claims hold no evidentiary value and lack credibility; therefore, it was completely erroneous for someone of his authority to draw such conclusions.

The Commissioner claimed that the robbery in Campbellville where Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan’s neighbour Geetanjalie Ramotar was brutalised and tape bound by bandits; the murder of Corentyne resident Pamela Kendall, which had sparked a massive protest against the Government by residents in the area; and the situation where a Corentyne woman, after being robbed, left her husband sleeping in the hammock and walked to the Police Station at 04:00h, all raised suspicions and caused one to wonder the true motive behind these crimes.

However, the Commissioner was the first person to make these allegations and it is hoped that the Police Force will make more evidence-based revelations.

On the issue of public trust, the Opposition advised the Commissioner to stop taking this integral crime fighting element for granted.

“To talk about building trust and confidence and at the same time undermining and lending support to the Ministry of Public Security’s efforts to dismantle the Community Policing Groups and the Community Policing Organisation in Guyana is not only contradictory but undermines the very trust and confidence which the GPF purports to enjoy from the Guyanese public,” the Party posited.

In conclusion, the Party reiterated that it never sold or bought crime as a “political football”, noting that it was the PNC itself that was known to be associated with the criminal underworld.

“Police records can attest to this fact…these facts were reported time and again and the sitting Commissioner of Police is aware of them,” the Party stated.