Dear Editor,
It appears as though the Ministry of Home Affairs and the High Command of the Guyana Police Force have mastered the art of hypocrisy.
On Friday, February 10, 2023, I went to the Police Sports Club, Eve Leary to pay my respect to the earthly remains of former Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper and to express words of comfort to members of his bereaving family at his funeral. I received a big shock. There was a ceremonial funeral in progress for Edmond Cooper. Present at the funeral was the Minister of Home Affairs, who in 2020 communicated with Nigel Hoppie, who was performing the duties of Commissioner of Police, to proceed with criminal charges against Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper and several other senior police officers when there was no evidence against them. This was an effort to prevent the Police Service Commission from promoting them because they had criminal matters pending against them, according to the Minister of Home Affairs. To date no one was charged.
The following were also there: the Acting Commissioner of Police, senior officers, junior officers and other ranks. They were decked out in their ceremonial uniform. Also on show were the Guyana Police Force Military Band MS, Police Mixed Voice Choir, the firing, mourning, bearing and escort parties as detailed in the Acting Commissioner’s Special Operational Order dated February 6, 2023. The Minister of Home Affairs and the Acting Commissioner of Police paid glowing tribute to Cooper. That was hypocrisy at its best. The funeral arrangements shocked me because I am aware that a ceremonial funeral is held exclusively for a member of the Force who died while serving, not former or retired members of the Force. Did the police or Home Affairs unlawfully tweaked the well-established protocol in relation to funeral of serving, retired and former members of the GPF?
Cooper was a civilian at the time of his death. According to the police official records – Force Orders 47/2022 dated December 2, 2022 approval was given for Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper to retire from the Guyana Police Force on medical grounds with effect from December1, 2022. Was this announcement high class efficiency or was it intended to quickly get rid of Cooper? Imagine, according to the police, Cooper was found medically unfit with effect from December 1, 2022 and the Force Orders publication was made on December 2, 2022. Therefore, he ceased to be a member of the Force and was not entitled for a ceremonial funeral. There are many issues and concerns about the publication in the Force Orders in relation to the retirement on medical grounds of Senior Superinten-dent Edmond Cooper and what took place at his funeral.
Did the police follow the established procedure prior to Cooper being medically boarded and after the Medical Board recommended that Cooper was medically unfit for the job? Was the not lawfully and duly constituted Police Service Commission, led by a Bishop and other key players, included Cooper, informed of the recommendations of the Medical Board? If as a matter of fact, the unlawful Police Service Commission had acted it would have been in flagrant violation of the sacrosanct ruling of the Acting Chief Justice. The Acting Chief Justice ruled that the current Police Service Commission is not lawfully and duly constituted unless the Chairperson of the Public Service Commission is appointed a member of the Police Service Commission and that the Commission in its present state cannot carry out any function of the Commission.
There is no Public Service Commission, hence, no Chairperson. Did the High Command of the Guyana Police Force usurped the powers of the Police when they published that Cooper was medically unfit for duty? The power to remove from office any member of the Police Force holding the rank from inspector to assistant commissioner is the sole responsibility the Police Service Commission as enshrined in article 212 (3) of the Constitution of the Co- operative Republic of Guyana. Is it that the police, after realising that they were wrong to pronounced Cooper medically unfit, decided to hold a ceremonial funeral for him as a senior superintendent of police?
Is it true that the police will rescind Force Orders 47/2022 in relation to the retirement of Edmond Cooper on medical grounds? Is it that the holding of a ceremonial funeral for Edmond Cooper a horrible attempt by the police to cover up or make amends for the unprofessional and unethical way they treated him while he was serving? Why did the Commander, Regional Police Division 3, not provide smooth and orderly internment arrangements at Best Cemetery? It was total chaos at that burial ground. The cameras do not lie. There are numerous other burning questions that are crying out for answers. However, i think that this is a good point for me to stop. May God help the Guyana Police Force.
Sincerely
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ret’d)
