[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Guyana Police Force (GPF) says it has observed that at least one political Party has been lying on police ranks in various aspects of their operations with the most recent being in regard to an armed robbery committed on businessman Latchman Pooran of Maida Farm, Corentyne, Berbice, on Sunday, December 21.

Police say members of the political party wrongfully claimed that the police took more than two and a half hours to respond to the report and then mobilised persons to picket the Whim Police Station and demanded that ranks be transferred from the station immediately.

 “In fact the information on the slothful response by the police was a fabrication aimed at achieving political mileage.”

iNews had reported that six gunmen invaded a Madia, Corentyne home yesterday, beating the family and escaping with millions in cash and jewellery and that the traumatized family is upset with the police response to the crime, as it took them some two hours to turn up at the crime scene. The police were also accused of not answering the telephone.

As a result, residents took to the streets and protested  against the police inaction at the Whim Police Station and accused the police of sloppy investigations, favoritism, corruption and harassment.

The residents complained bitterly to Alliance For Change (AFC) representatives during a meeting. AFC members, Abel Seetaram, Dr Verasammy Ramayya and Mark Ross supported the protest action.

To the contrary, police clarified that the victim himself has indicated to the media that the police took less than half an hour to arrive on the scene and has publicly praised the work of the police which he said worked under stressful and strenuous circumstances.

The Guyana Police Force is appealing to members of political parties not to use the agency for political mileage and wishes to inform the public that it is making great efforts to improve the quality of service it provides and to gain public trust.

“It is incidents like these that cause one to question whether some organisations in our society would like to see a secure Guyana or not,” the police added in a statement.

The Guyana Police Force also acknowledged its mature stance whenever it is being criticized; adding that constructive criticisms are taken in good faith and necessary adjustments are being made to improve its services.

The police said it was necessary to clarify misleading information being peddled with the intent of achieving some ulterior objectives.