Gov’t to ignore police promotion list released by suspended Police Service Commission

GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER OF LEGAL AFFAIRS, MOHABIR ANIL NANDLALL SC MP

The Government of Guyana rejects as unlawful and illegal, a list of purported promotions of members of the Guyana Police Force by the Police Service Commission. The Police Service Commission has been suspended by a decision of His Excellency, the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali on the 16th day of June, 2021, in the exercise of powers conferred upon him by the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. This decision of His Excellency was communicated to each member of the Police Service Commission by a letter bearing that date which was dispatched and received.

The said decision of the President can only be rescinded, revoked, set-aside or reversed by the President himself, or by a court of competent jurisdiction. No person, let alone, a constitutional commission, will be allowed to become judge, jury and executioner in our constitutional democracy. The Rule of Law simply does not permit it.

The attempt of the Police Service Commission therefore, to countermand, disobey and disregard the President’s decision, not only amounts to an effrontery to the highest executive office in this land, but is simply absurd. If anyone had any doubts about the independence and rectitude of this grouping who constitute the Police Service Commission, those doubts should now be put to rest.

It must be made abundantly clear that nothing in the ruling rendered this afternoon by the learned Chief Justice, the Honourable Roxanne George, CCH, SC, in the case filed by Mr. Calvin Brutus, Senior Superintendent of Police, against the Police Service Commission and the Attorney General, gives legitimacy to the purported list of promotions issued by the PSC or any such list, as suggested in certain segments of the Press. In fact, one of the grounds that the Police Service Commission proffered in opposition to the case brought by Mr. Brutus is that ‘’the Commission has not made a final decision regarding promotions.’’

In the circumstances, this purported list of promotions of members of the Guyana Police Force will be ignored.

28th June, 2021