By Leroy Smith
Longstanding Police Prosecutor Edmond Cooper was recently promoted from the rank of Superintendent to Senior Superintendent by the Police Service Commission.
The promotion was made effective September 01, 2016 and was reportedly done without prior informing the administration of the Guyana Police Force.
Cooper is presently serving as the Deputy Commander of the Police ‘B’ Division in Berbice.
The News Room was informed that several members of the Force believe that they were cheated and were superceded by Cooper and have reportedly approached the management of the Guyana Police Force with their concerns regarding the promotion.
When contacted Assistant Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine, who is performing the duties of Commissioner of Police, acknowledged that there are some concerns within the organisation in relation to Cooper’s promotion.
Cooper when contacted by News Room refused to comment on the issue, advising that the acting Police Commissioner or the Police Service Commission be contacted instead, since he is not permitted to speak to the press on such matters.
The promotion was confirmed by Chairman of the Police Service Commission Omesh Satyanand.
The Chairman said the commission found Cooper to be a well-rounded police officer.
We were told that Cooper was among the senior police officers who were interviewed by the commission earlier this year, but was not promoted as he was still pursuing studies in Trinidad.
The News Room was told that following that interview, the commission informed Cooper that he was eligible for promotion, but that it would be enforced when he returns to Guyana after his studies. Satyanand said that the promotion of Cooper should be seen and considered a “late promotion.”
Edmond Cooper was transferred to an interior location while Henry Green was Commissioner of Police. He served as a state prosecutor for fourteen years mostly in ‘C’ Division for the period 2004-2008.
Among the high profile cases Cooper would have prosecuted are those of Shaheed Roger Khan, Picture Boy, the Lusignan Massacre, Vickanand Nandlall and the case of the ‘Ole-Higue.’
Article 212 of the Constitution gives the Police Service Commission the authority to promote officers from Inspector to Assistant Commissioner of Police without consulting the Police Force.
