The Government of Guyana must recognise the promotions made by the Police Service Commission (PSC), says Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan.
“Those are very valid promotions, and when – let’s say next month – the promotions are not effectuated by virtue of the increased benefits – to let’s say one who is an Assistant Superintendent now promoted to Superintendent – one would expect that those persons, or at least one of them, can take it to court,” Ramjattan said during a virtual press conference this afternoon.
He added that those officers have grounds to challenge any attempt to ‘block’ their benefits or to prevent them from accessing increased stature within the force.
“In view of the fact that the PSC was properly constituted when it made this decision; there was no injunctive order that they could not; the suspension of them was wholly unconstitutional at the ill advice or the non-advice of the Attorney General gave the President, it means that the way is cleared for them (officers) to be promoted.”
The AFC Leader said that on those grounds, he is ‘absolutely certain’ that the High Court will entertain the challenge and rule in the favour of the officers.
Ramjattan’s comments come days after the President, Dr Irfaan Ali pulled the plug on the PSC, suspending all the Commissioners including the Chair, Paul Slowe.
Slowe and others are embroiled in a criminal matter involving the pocketing of over $10M.
The President’s suspension of the PSC Commissioners is to facilitate those investigations and the establishment of a tribunal. But as reported previously by this publication, that tribunal can only be activated after the President consults with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). That body does not exist. The last JSC expired in 2017.
Asked if the power will revert to the President to discipline the commissioners, Ramjattan responded in the negative.
Meanwhile, the Government says it has no intention to recognise those promotions.
