Former SWAT Head now attached to `A’ Division

-disciplinary action awaiting service commission

Motie Dookie
Motie Dookie

Former Head of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit, Motie Dookie who is accused of smuggling 30 cases of whisky in December last year has since returned to duty and was posted to the Police ‘A’ Division where he is presently serving as the No. 2 Sub Divisional Officer.

This was confirmed by Commissioner of Police (ag) David Ramnarine who told reporters yesterday that Dookie could not find himself anymore “within four walls” since at this point in time, some five to seven senior officers, ranking from Superintendents up are currently on “long” annual vacational leave . He said the leave has been accumulated for a number of years and with a “change of policy” in terms of payment for leave they had to proceed on their annual vacation leave.

Additionally, Ramnarine said that over the last two and half years, the Guyana Police Force would have also seen some 15 senior officers from the ranks of Superintendents to Assistant Commissioners exiting.

As such, he said, “Dookie being a Deputy Superintendent of Police … in the circumstances which the force has to be superintended on a daily basis couldn’t find himself anymore within four walls”.

He said that the processes which are available to the police administration in relation to the conduct of Dookie were adhered to. “He is entitled to due process. A part has been completed”, he said.

Ramnarine said that departmental charges were recommended against Dookie but due to the absence of the Police Service Commission those could not have been instituted.

However, he noted that legal advice has been furnished and the file was transmitted to the secretary of the Police Service Commission and when a new commission is appointed, another course of action may follow. “When the service commission is reconstituted, another course of action may follow which may necessarily see the matter depending on the course of action taken by the new service commission …”, he said.

Stabroek News was reliably informed that Dookie will only face disciplinary charges as the driver of the minibus in which the discovery was made has since taken full responsibility for the act.

Dookie was expected to be charged with breach of discipline under the Police Discipline Act, Chapter 17:01.

This aspect of the matter was being dealt with by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), this newspaper was previously told.

He was posted to ‘A’ Division after he returned from his annual leave which he had proceeded on during mid-January.

Dookie was travelling in a minibus along the Whim Public Road, Corentyne, on December 30th, last year when it was stopped by a police anti-crime patrol and the 30 cases of whisky were found aboard.

At the time, Dookie and the driver of the minibus were the only occupants of the vehicle. He was also on duty but failed to seek permission from his commanding officer to leave his location.

The police have said that Dookie, a Deputy Superintendent, indicated that 10 cases of whisky were in the minibus and they were to be used for a party. However, a search of the minibus revealed 30 cases, which were all seized.

The investigation into the matter was completed and the file was sent for legal advice.

Following the discovery, Dookie was relieved of his duties as the commander of the SWAT Unit and was temporarily transferred to the force’s Strategic Planning Unit.

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan had publicly said that Dookie should be dismissed from the force for misconduct.

“This is a very serious offence, committed by a senior member of the force. Dookie has violated the principles and integrity of the police force… we cannot have rogue elements like him in the force… elements like him do damage to the force,” he had told Stabroek News.

Ramnarine had emphasised that at the time of his arrest Dookie was acting on his own accord. “That night, I contacted his commanding officer and I was assured that that officer was on his own. He was on his own, doing his own thing, doing whatever he was doing,” Ramnarine had said.