Jagdeo says top cop on publicity stunt

GEORGETOWN (CMC):

The Guyana government has dismissed a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit filed by the embattled Assistant Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus, as a desperate publicity stunt to grab headlines.

“He will get the chance to do so in court, but this had nothing to do with race, absolutely nothing. In this environment, he’s trying to accuse the PPP of racial discrimination now,” Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters at his weekly news conference.

Last week, Brutus filed a GUY$1.6-billion (one Guyana dollar=US$0.04 cents) lawsuit against the state claiming that he had been racially discriminated against in favour of an East Indian under the Government Diversity Policy of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Brutus, who is on administrative leave pending the hearing and determination of more than 200 fraud charges, alleges that he was removed from the acting position of deputy police commissioner ‘administration’, where he had been serving from August 16, 2020 to July 4, 2024.

In the lawsuit, his attorneys, argue that Brutus, who is of mixed descent, was sent to head Special Branch, and that on July 4, 2024, the police commissioner informed him that Jagdeo directed that his client be transferred to Special Branch to allow Assistant Commissioner Ravindradat Budhram to gain experience in administration.

The lawyers claim that their client was replaced by Budram, a Guyanese of East Indian descent.

Brutus is asking the court to declare that his fundamental right to equal protection of the law as guaranteed to him by Article 149D of Guyana’s Constitution is in breach, right to be protected from discrimination on the ground of race as guaranteed to him under Article 149 of the constitution, his human rights as guaranteed to him under Article 154A of the constitution and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination are all in breach.

Jagdeo dismissed claims by Brutus that he was responsible for his removal from the top position in the police force in preference for Budhram, saying that no such directive was given, and that Brutus’ removal might have been due to the corruption allegations levied against him, and not racial discrimination.

Jagdeo told reporters that there had been various financial irregularities during Brutus’ tenure as head of administration, including unfulfilled orders and payments.

“Even if you perceive yourself to be close to the PPP, regardless of your race, if you don’t do what you are paid to do, if you deprive the people of this country, as was done in this case, then you will bear responsibility for it. That’s the way we will manage this country,” Jagdeo said, reiterating his government’s strong stance against corruption.