By Alethea Grant | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — In a dramatic about-face, Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken has officially rescinded his directive ordering Deputy Commissioner of Police and Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) Fazil Karimbaksh to proceed on compulsory pre-retirement leave.
The sudden retreat comes barely 48 hours after Karimbaksh, through his legal counsel, mounted a blistering constitutional challenge threatening immediate High Court litigation, interim injunctions, and costs against the Top Cop.
In a formal correspondence dated October 12, 2026, Commissioner Hicken notified Karimbaksh that the initial October 7 directive was being withdrawn in its entirety. The commissioner explained that the reversal followed a reassessment of the constitutional and statutory framework governing the respective purviews of the President of Guyana, the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the Commissioner of Police.
Hicken conceded that the initial instruction ceases to have legal effect, acknowledging that any future administrative determination regarding Karimbaksh’s accumulated leave or tenure must be executed by the appropriate constitutional authority.
The Constitutional Impasse: Power Vacuum in Senior Police Discipline
The withdrawal highlights a critical institutional dilemma within the Guyana Police Force (GPF) regarding who possesses the lawful power to discipline or sideline high-ranking officers:
- The Initial Order Overturned: On October 7, Hicken ordered Karimbaksh to proceed on 174 days of annualized leave starting November 8, 2026, ahead of his scheduled retirement in April 2027.
- The Legal Challenge: Karimbaksh’s attorneys rejected the calculations (citing records reflecting 118 days) and argued that under Articles 211 and 212 of the Constitution of Guyana, exclusive disciplinary authority over a Deputy Commissioner rests with the Police Service Commission—not the Commissioner of Police.
- The Unconstituted Commission: Because the Police Service Commission is currently unconstituted and expired, Hicken’s concession leaves the administration without an immediate constitutional mechanism to remove or suspend the SOCU chief from active operational duty.
Amanza Walton Scoffs: ‘They Only Use the Law in Defence of Themselves’
Reacting to Hicken’s retreat in an exclusive interview with HGP Nightly News, Member of Parliament and Leader of the Forward Guyana movement Amanza Walton-Desir criticized both the administration and the police hierarchy, arguing that the debacle exposes systemic institutional decay:
- Erosion of Rule of Law: Walton-Desir asserted that the executive branch has fostered an environment where procedural chaos thrives, allowing senior figures to exploit constitutional gaps.
- Selective Legal Awareness: The opposition lawmaker argued that top officials ignore statutory procedures until their own interests are threatened, contrasting this with their handling of regular citizens.
“The Irfaan Ali administration has facilitated, Anil Nandlall as the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice has facilitated the breakdown of law and order, and this is why Karimbaksh could turn around and fling it in their faces and says, ‘I am not going nowhere, you can’t send me anywhere,’ because suddenly he knows the law,” Walton-Desir declared.
“They know the law all along, but they only raise it not in the defence of the people of Guyana, but in defence of themselves, and that ought to send a message to the people of Guyana. Let me say, if Guyanese do not rise up and open their eyes and begin to understand that this Gov’t has to be held to account, we will bequeath a failed nation to our children and our children’s children.”
Unresolved Allegations and Lingering Questions
The administrative reversal leaves unresolved the serious controversies surrounding the SOCU head:
- Criminal Allegations Pending: Karimbaksh remains the subject of serious allegations of rape, sexual assault, and threatening behaviour filed by a female subordinate police inspector.
- Mounting Public Pressure: Civil society advocates, human rights organizations, and opposition groups continue to stage demonstrations demanding an independent inquiry and Karimbaksh’s immediate removal from active police command to prevent witness intimidation or interference.
- The Unanswered Question: With Hicken rescinding the letter and the Police Service Commission non-existent, the central question persists: who holds the lawful authority to place a sitting Deputy Commissioner of Police on administrative leave, and what steps will the state take next?
