Cabinet approval has been given for the establishment of an investigative arm of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), which will enable the agency to conduct investigations independent of the police force.
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the decision yesterday, while noting that it was as a result of the representations it made.
Human rights activists have over the years frequently called for an independent investigative arm for the PCA, arguing that it is inappropriate to have it rely on the police to investigate fellow members of the force accused of wrongdoing.
“This approval will result in the employment of four qualified investigators to conduct investigations on behalf of the Police Complaints Authority independently of the Guyana Police Force,” the Ministry said in statement.
It also noted that the assignment of an investigative arm to the PCA was one of the recommendations that arose from the Disciplined Forces Commission report, roughly ten years ago.
