L-R Security Minister Ramjattan, Top Cop Leslie James and Deputy Commissioner Graham
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan on Monday told BIG Smith News Watch that he is unaware of why Commissioner of Police Leslie James and Deputy Commissioner of Police Maxine Graham are still on the job.
He was at the time responding to questions from this publication as to the presence of the officers in their current position despite their accumulative leave which effectively leads them into their pre-retirement leave and ultimately their retirement.
“Look I don’t know why they are still on the job, I will have to check that out to see what exactly is happening over there, I am not aware of that…I know nothing about that” the Security Minister told BIG Smith News Watch.
The appointment of Deputy Commissioner of Police and that of the Commissioner of Police are made by the president. In the case of the Commissioner of Police, that appointment is made after consultations with the Parliamentary Opposition Leader.
Leslie James was appointed Commissioner of Police back in August 2018 along with four Deputy Commissioners of Police in the persons of Lyndon Alves, Maxine Graham, Nigel Hoppie, and Paul Williams. Alves was sent off the job in the public’s interest last year.
In police records seen this publication, Commissioner of Police Leslie James and Deputy Commissioner of Police Maxine have a combined days of close to five hundred days accumulative leave, enough to take both of them off the job and lead them into their pre-retirement leave and ultimately their retirement.
In the case of Commissioner of Police Leslie James who joined the force on November 02, 1987, he will attain the age of 55 on April 21, 2021, but has in excess of 307 days accumulative leave, based on that breakdown, James should have gone home since Sunday, June 28, 2020.
In the case of Deputy Commissioner Maxine Graham, who joined the force on 09 March 1987, she will attain the age of retirement in November of this year. However, she does accumulative leave of in excess of 172 days. Based on that breakdown, Graham should have already gone home to enjoy her accumulative leave since June 11 of this year which would have taken her into her retirement.
Sources within the police force have indicated that efforts are in train to have Deputy Commissioner Graham move over to the Special Constabulary after she heads into retirement, a move that already has other officers fuming. They are of the view that Maxine Graham ought to go home and enjoy her retirement.
On Monday the Ministry of Presidency announced that the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces President David Granger has granted approval for Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force Patrick West to proceed on his accumulative leave which would lead him into his pre-retirement leave and ultimately his retirement.
Government at the level of the cabinet which is chaired by President David Granger ordered back in 2015 that all Public Servants must take their annual leave as the government will no longer be paying public servants for accumulated leave when they do not take it as it was becoming a financial burden.
