Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Ganesh Mahipaul has slammed the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and its head Clifton Hicken for hiding behind statements instead of facing the media, and the nation by extension, over the murder of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge. Mahipaul, during a recent online interview, said he is appalled at this posture, especially after the force admitted to releasing inaccurate information about the child after she was reported missing.
Mahipaul highlighted that days have passed since Adrianna’s body was found at a hotel pool at the Double Day Hotel, Tuschen, Region Three, and there has not been one press engagement by the GPF to properly address the nation on their mishandling of the case.
Younge was reported missing on Wednesday afternoon (April 23) and by Thursday morning (April 24) around 10 am, her body was discovered in the pool with visible marks. In the days following, the hotel was torched, and widespread protests erupted across the country demanding justice.
The police’s initial handling of the case has also come under scrutiny. Adrianna’s disappearance was first reported as an abduction by the GPF, but following the discovery of her body, police later issued a statement saying the information about an abduction was inaccurate and that an investigation was underway.
Mahipaul in a recent interview on the Rickford Burke show pointed out that despite the national outrage the GPF, President Irfaan Ali, and Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn have not faced the public. He described the silence as unacceptable, stating, “I am very disturbed by the fact that the police failed the people of Region Three, police failed the family, police failed the nation.”
Mahipaul noted that in other jurisdictions, when tragedies of this magnitude occur, top officials, including police commissioners, promptly face the media. “When incidents of this nature occur you will find the commissioner of police…having a press conference where he informs the nation. We have not seen that from this Guyana Police Force,” the MP pointed out.
Mahipaul said the absence of communication from authorities has also deepened public mistrust. “They have clearly lost that right to claim that they serve and protect. There is a complete breakdown of trust right now, and people do not trust the police,” he said. He also highlighted the need for the police to repair their relationship with citizens.
The Opposition MP also criticized the handling of Region Three Commander Khalid Mandall, who was transferred to another division but then placed on administrative leave amid public pressure. Mahipaul argued that decisive action should have been taken much sooner.
“Since they found that girl in the pool…Mandall should have been transferred out of the region and placed on close arrest or administrative leave. What they did instead is allowed him to stay and that agitated people,” he said.
Turning his criticism to the leadership of the GPF, Mahipaul said Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken must be removed. “I think that the mistake we have with the police right now is having Clifton Hicken at the top there because he has proven to be incompetent,” he said. He contended that in order to repair the trust in the force, government needs to bring fresh leadership.
Mahipaul warned that without major reforms, public confidence in law enforcement would continue to erode. “Until President Irfaan Ali takes that kind of action, the people will forever not have the confidence in the GPF,” Mahipaul stated. While acknowledging there are good officers within the police force, Mahipaul cautioned, “One rotten apple can spoil the entire barrel.”
