Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 01, 2011 News
By Ralph Seeram
Commissioner Henry Greene must be very proud of himself. I am sure that he is satisfied with his performance. He “showed” those two irritants, Freddie Kissoon and Mark Benschop, that he has power and can abuse it, did I say abuse? Sorry can use it.
Two days in the lockup for the most trivial of offences? Not only did you put Kissoon and Benschop in their place but you also dealt with one of your own for failing to arrest Benschop. I am sure the political directorate is also happy with your performance.
It would seem that Commissioner Greene is good at bringing traffic offenders to justice. My question to the Police Chief is how good are you in going after crime and corruption committed by the political elite? You don’t seem to be excelling in that department.
The incarceration of these two gentlemen for forty-eight hours can be viewed by some, including this writer, as being malicious, spiteful and vindictive.
Let me make it clear, I hold no brief for Kissoon and Benschop. I do not know these gentlemen; I have never met them. I enjoy reading Freddie only for his rants. I feel he might pop a blood vessel one of these days because of the anger in his writing. The guy really has it for President Jagdeo.
I really don’t agree with half the things he writes, but the other half is what I pay attention to because he can be very factual; some of the issues he raises are irrefutable. At least I have not seen the Government contradict him when he is factual.
Kissoon and Benschop are severe critics of the PPP Government, and whether their protests and criticism are justified or not, I will DFEND their right to do so, because that’s what people do in a democracy, because it is allowed in a democracy.
This may be a new concept for those in power, but I would like to remind those in Government that Kissoon is not doing anything different from what the PPP was doing when the PNC was in power, and as we all know the PNC regime was not a democracy.
It would appear that those in power and those holding high public offices feel that they are above criticism. Well that’s too bad. If you don’t want criticism and scrutiny then don’t take taxpayers money. You cannot feed at the public trough and expect taxpayers to cast a blind eye on your performance.
You need to go to the private industry, where if you “screw up” you are immediately fired; if you steal you will be prosecuted by your employer. Herein lies the problem with Henry Greene and law enforcement.
One gets the impression that the law is being selectively enforced. Tell me Henry, despite numerous instances cited by this newspaper on corruption, how many charges have you brought?
I am very, very disappointed with President Jagdeo and the PPP Government. From the Diaspora watching events in Guyana, I am reminded of the days when I was a journalist in Guyana, during the Burnham regime.
Burnham in my opinion did not try to “kill the messenger”, he tried to kill the message. How, by controlling newsprint and all printing supplies; you can’t get your message out to the masses if you do not have newsprint and ink. Burnham had already controlled both radio stations.
Today the PPP Government cannot control the message so it is going after the messenger. This is what DICTATORS do; this is what happens in a police state. Are you taking us to a police state Henry Greene? Or are we there already? And do you think in this technological age you can silence the messenger?
I am in the U.S.A. and I am getting the message. Let me remind those in power today, regimes come and go (ask the PNC). Crimes and abuses stay on records. In various parts of the world, former politicians and Government officials are now being brought to justice for offences committed when they were in power. Some of these officials are being sued in U.S courts for injustices meted out by them decades ago.
I mentioned being disappointed with the PPP Government. Adam Harris wrote about the climate of fear in people reporting wrongs but afraid to reveal their names. People fear retribution; I would never expect this under a PPP Government.
As a journalist in Guyana during the Burnham regime I experienced this; people would come to me with information but very afraid to disclose their identity. I can say in all honesty that Burnham did not condone corruption. I will cite two instances to support that view.
There is, at present, a building on Angoy’s Avenue in New Amsterdam being used by the Ministry of Health. That building was the home of the then town engineer who built it with the labour, materials and resources of the New Amsterdam Municipality.
Based on information, I wrote an article on the matter. The PNC took up the issue and the house was turned over back to the Government.
In the other instance, based on information a GDF truck was transporting contraband goods, (anybody remembers those days besides Adam and myself? It was some three generations ago) on the Corentyne. They were stopped and the officer was charged. I made a report for the then Guyana Broadcasting Service on the midday news and “all hell broke loose”. Pressure was brought on my editor, friend and mentor, the late Cecil Griffith.
Some in power saw it as anti-government. Griffith stood firm and I later learnt that Burnham dismissed senior military officers for that corrupt practice.
The press is the watchdog of the taxpayers. The press expresses those powers and rights vested in its citizens. It has more resources than the single taxpayers; therefore it is in a position to expose wrongs of Government and its institutions.
The irony of this is funny when you think that it is the single taxpayer who does not have the resources, who provides the information to the media for scrutiny.
So I am back to Henry Greene. Is it your job to enforce some of the laws selectively, or do you enforce laws without fear or favour? If it’s the former you need to resign now, as your recent actions surely will not elicit public confidence.
Remember the police are in the front line in enforcing the Rule of Law. If the public loses faith and confidence in the police, then, my friend, there will be no Rule of Law. You know what comes after that, the word starts with A. I will let you figure that out.
Ralph Seeram can be reached at email [email protected]
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