Former Member
Govt undecided on Greene’s return
Ian Chang
The jury is still out on whether embattled Police Commissioner Henry Greene will resume duty as the country’s Top Cop.
This is according to Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee when asked about the return of Greene to office.
Greene is currently on administrative leave, which commenced last December to facilitate an investigation into rape allegations made against him by a 34-year old mother of two.
Following investigations conducted by Jamaican investigators, the Director of Public Prosecutions recommended that the commissioner be slapped with a rape charge.
However Greene successfully challenged the DPP’s advice in the High Court, with Chief Justice Ian Chang ruling that the recommendation of the DPP was irrational.
This ruling has angered a large section of the society, with many now resuming their call for Greene’s removal as the Commissioner of Police.
Yesterday, the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (A.P.N.U) renewed its call for Greene to be removed from office.
“In renewing our call we wish to remind the Guyanese public that having passed the age of retirement Mr. Greene is no longer the constitutional holder of the office of Commissioner of Police. Rather he is an employee/servant of the Government and as such he can be removed forthwith. As he continues to occupy the office of Commissioner of Police, Mr. Greene has no more security of tenure than Mr. Freddie Kissoon has had at the University of Guyana.”
The party said that while Commissioner Greene may have temporarily succeeded in having a rape charge against him blocked, the fact is that he has admitted to having sex with a female citizen who went to him for help in his official capacity as Commissioner of Police, a serious misconduct which should have been met with immediate removal.
“We strongly disagree with the ruling of the Honourable Chief Justice Ian Chang in this matter but we are confident that, given a recent ruling by the Privy Council, the Honourable Chief Justice’s decision will be overturned.”
APNU has placed on record its dismay and disappointment at the several disparaging statements attributed to the Chief Justice on the character of the alleged victim and his apparent lack of sensitivity and knowledge revealed by his statements.
“On the issue of the Chief Justice’s lack of sensitivity he must be aware that progressive countries, recognising that the trial of sexual offences often turns out to be the hardest on the victims, have enacted victim friendly legislation empowering Courts inter alia to hold trial in camera and also forbid the publication of reports of certain details of the alleged act,” APNU pointed out.
The party said that rather than adhere to these modern principles, the Chief Justice quite happily read to the packed court room and by extension the entire country all the gory details of the alleged rape.
“What a travesty! The fallout from the posture taken by the Honourable Chief Justice will undoubtedly further cower already traumatized women and reinforce their belief that our judicial system is unconcerned about them.”
Commissioner Henry Greene
On the issue of the behaviour of the alleged victim after the alleged incident, APNU said that the Chief Justice seemed to have concluded that the fact that the alleged victim took a week to be assessed by a doctor and went into the vehicle with the Commissioner of Police after the alleged rape, strained her credibility.
“These statements show a remarkable lack of reading on the part of the Chief Justice on how women and children react to the barbaric offence of rape.
Thursday the 29th day of March, 2012 will remain a black day for all right thinking people of Guyana. We trust that the Director of Public Prosecutions will appeal the decision of the Honourable Chief Justice and we trust that the Government of Guyana will act now and remove the Commissioner of Police from office,” APNU declared.
But Minister Rohee in response to the question on Greene’s return to active duties responded, “Why don’t we wait and see. Let’s wait and see, don’t rush to judgement,” the Minister declared.
“The jury is still out,” he added.