By Leroy Smith
As the Government of Guyana continues to consider the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into an alleged plot to kill the president, a decision was taken to keep Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud away from the job at least for another two and half months.
Persaud, who has been on leave for some three months, was slated to return to the job today (Friday, November 24, 2017), but the News Room understands that Persaud was asked by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan to proceed on additional leave which he has accumulated.
When contacted this evening, the Public Security Minister confirmed to the News Room that the Commissioner of Police did receive a letter today instructing him to take the additional leave.
That leave will run until January 18, 2018 according the Public Security Minister.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine will continue to perform the duties of Commissioner of Police.
Minister Ramjattan is on record stating that he is not happy with all the recommendations contained in the CoI report and indicated that he would be seeking to have discussions at the level of Cabinet and with the President before certain actions are taken in relation to what the report recommended.
The CoI had recommended that Persaud be removed as Commissioner of Police or that he be made to resign.
The report also spoke to Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, who is also on accumulated leave and is presently using that period to attend the University of Guyana. The report had recommended that Blanhum be removed as the country’s Crime Chief for his lack of leadership in the department and even cited his rudeness while on the stand at the CoI.
Blanhum is slated to return from his leave in the new week but it is unclear if he has additional leave to take and if he will suffer the same fate as the Commissioner of Police.
