President Irfaan Ali has denied that he tried to influence the Police Service Commission through a meeting with its Chairman, in its promotion of officers. The President’s statement came hours after Chairman of the PSC, Paul Slowe said the President met with him and called him several times trying to influence the promotion of “his people” within the Guyana Police Force. Slowe alleged that charges he and several others faced as a direct link to actions the Commission did not take to promote officers identified by the President.
“I find it convenient and opportunistic that Mr Paul Slowe would make the accusation that I tried to influence him and the work of the Police Service Commission. This is not only far from the truth, but it is a malicious attempt to change the narrative,” the statement from President Ali read.
The Head of State said that he met with Slowe where he raised various concerns with him, “If Mr Slowe is saying I tried to influence him, where are the results of that influence? Where is the result? It is clear as day that Mr Slowe is bringing the independence and professionalism of the PSC into question when he aligns the PSC with opposition member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul and retain Opposition members of Parliament Roysdale Forde, Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, Amanda Walton Desir to institute proceedings against the Government of Guyana,” Ali said in the statement.
The President wants the PSC Chairman to explained “how can an independent commissioner align himself with a political party and a political party member’s action against the government? Where is the independence?,” he asks.
The President labelled the allegations a lie, “This level of distortion and public mischief by the Chairman of this Commission exposes his leadership and alignment.”