Transfer of city police commander ‘unfair’ - Rohee
Former Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee has described the recent transfer of Assistant Commissioner of Police Edgar Thomas as “grossly unfair” and “flagrantly high-handed” and has accused Commissioner of Police Leslie James of failing to execute his duties.
Thomas was relieved of his command as the head of Region Four (A) last week Thursday after he reportedly failed to clear the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Region Four command centre of all persons in the wake of a bomb threat that day. Stabroek News had previously reported that Thomas was spearheading the police operation at the GECOM Media Centre, which is also the office for the Returning Officer of Region Four, when he received a telephone call from a rank informing him of his transfer.
This newspaper was told that Thomas was removed after he reportedly refused to remove several persons, including GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj, and clear the premises following the bomb scare. Reports are that the instruction was reportedly given to Thomas by a Deputy Superintendent of Police; a lower rank that the one Thomas holds.
In a letter published in Tuesday’s edition of Stabroek News, Rohee criticised the situation. He said that a Deputy Superintendent of Police cannot give orders nor instructions to an Assistant Commissioner of Police. To do so, is to be highly disrespectful and insubordinate to a superior officer, Rohee said, adding that it is worse if it is attempted whilst the superior officer is in operational mode.
“It is situations such as this that result in a breakdown in organisational discipline and flouting of the chain of command within the Guyana Police Force,” Rohee contended.
The former minister said that an Assistant Commissioner takes direct orders/ instructions from the Commissioner of Police or makes his own judgement and takes decisions depending on his assessment of the situation on the ground.
According to Rohee, the situation raised the “big question” as to why James did not contact Thomas directly and advise him how to handle the situation. He said that Thomas was told by a Deputy Superintendent what was required of him when it should have been the Commissioner of Police himself who should have been the one to advise Thomas as to what operational posture he should adopt or not adopt.
“The Commissioner knows full well that when it comes to public order operations it is the senior rank on the ground that decides, unless he is overruled by the Commissioner of Police who may have more experience in public order operations,” he added.
Rohee said from all indications, James avoided being the one to instruct Thomas as to what he should do. Instead, he said, a junior rank was tasked to execute what the former minister described as a “political order”.
“The junior rank must know his place. In fact, he would be acting in a highly unprofessional manner in allowing himself to be used as a political tool contrary to the Standing Orders of the Police Force,” Rohee declared.
Efforts made by this newspaper to contact James for a comment on the matter proved futile.
Thomas, who was appointed the head of Region Four (A) several months ago following the retirement of Assistant Commissioner Marlon Chapman, is now performing duties at Force Headquarters, Eve Leary.
Senior Supertindent Phillip Azore is now acting in the capacity of head of the division. The policing division of Region Four (A) extends from Agricola to Cummings Lodge.