Allegation that 200 persons blacklisted by SOCU is a fabrication – police

The Guyana Police Force today responded to a report in the Kaieteur News on the blacklisting of persons by the police.

A statement by the police follows:

The Guyana Police Force is responding to an article in today’s Edition of the Kaieteur News under the caption “That infamous blacklist is nothing new to the Guyanese people”

The Guyana Police Force wishes to address misinformation contained in the letter of Former Attorney General Mr. Anil Nandlall:

That the Police Blacklist over the last ten years contained a total of one hundred and thirty-nine (139) persons with eleven (11) from 2008, eleven (11) from 2009, fifteen (15) from 2010, five (5) from 2011, eighteen (18) from 2012, twenty-three (23) from 2013, eleven (11) from 2014, twelve (12) from 2015, sixteen (16) from 2016 and seventeen (17) for 2017. The allegation that 200 persons were blacklisted by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) is a fabrication.

It should be noted that this list predates SOCU and the number of names on the list includes those from the entire Guyana Police Force, as well as other law enforcement agencies in Guyana.

Records checked at the Office of the Commissioner of Police revealed that while the Force was represented by the Attorney General in matters of litigations brought by persons placed on the Blacklist, no record of any opinion or instruction from the Attorney General to the Police was found.

Additionally, the current Commissioner would have served as Crime Chief, who maintains the Blacklist, since 2007 until his appointment as Commissioner in 2014. He is unaware of any opinion or instruction from the Attorney General regarding the Blacklist.

Finally, the Force wishes the public to be informed, that the information requested by the Commissioner of Information regarding the persons on the Blacklist, has been dispatched.