By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
CAMP STREET, GEORGETOWN — A small but determined contingent of civic activists, journalists, and opposition lawmakers gathered on the picket line outside the Camp Street Headquarters of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on Monday, October 5, 2026, demanding the immediate interdiction of Deputy Commissioner of Police and SOCU Head Fizal Karimbaksh.
The demonstration marks escalating public outrage following formal allegations of rape and threatening behavior filed by a serving female Police Inspector against Karimbaksh.
The demonstration follows statements by Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond, who publicly affirmed that the senior officer should be placed on administrative leave while detectives investigate. However, because no administrative order has been issued to relieve him of command, protesters openly questioned the political and institutional will of the police administration and executive government.
The Picket Line: Civil Society Calls Out Executive Inaction
Addressing media representatives outside the SOCU facility, investigative journalist Leroy Smith, who has actively publicized the allegations since they surfaced, rejected claims that an unconstituted Police Service Commission (PSC) prevents the government from acting:
- Administrative Precedents: Smith cited past disciplinary actions where subordinate and gazetted officers facing criminal probes were immediately sent on leave to preserve the integrity of inquiries.
- Ministerial Authority: He insisted that the Ministry of Home Affairs possesses the administrative standing to issue a directive sending Karimbaksh on leave.
- Allegations of Assault at Force Headquarters: Smith highlighted that the female Inspector’s sworn complaint alleges she was raped twice by the Deputy Commissioner, including an assault that occurred directly within Guyana Police Force Headquarters at Eve Leary.
“With respect to sending Karimbaksh off on leave, the Police Service Commission activeness or inactiveness does not prevent the MOHA [Ministry of Home Affairs] from giving… a letter sending him off on his leave to facilitate an investigation,” Smith argued on the picket line.
Opposition Lawmakers Rebuked ‘Impunity at the Top’
Parliamentary opposition figures on the picket line and in public statements warned of systemic damage to the disciplinary fabric of the police service:
- Signal to the Lower Ranks: A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan argued that allowing a senior commander to retain operational control while accused of serious indictable offenses completely demoralizes junior ranks.
- Call for Presidential Intervention: Duncan argued that if institutional bodies like the PSC are inactive, the responsibility falls directly upon President Dr. Irfaan Ali to remove Karimbaksh to allow an impartial inquiry.
“These are very serious allegations; [in] any other part of the world he would have already been fired,” MP Duncan asserted, adding that inaction signals that senior brass “could do as you want at the top and remain there.”
WIN Shadow Minister Questions Government Commitments
Adding her voice to the condemnation, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister of Home Affairs Toshana Famey challenged the government’s previous commitments to protect female ranks:
- Remembering Past Pledges: Famey recalled that in November 2025, the Minister of Human Services and Social Protection vowed that sexual misconduct within the police force would be treated “very, very seriously” and that perpetrators would be handled “very strongly” so that female ranks would not fear coming forward.
- The Test of Credibility: Famey pressed Minister Walrond directly to act on those assurances, questioning how many more women must lodge complaints before the administration takes action.
“Well, Minister, a woman has come forward, so what does ‘very, very seriously’ mean now?” Famey questioned. “As a woman and as the Minister responsible for Home Affairs, I expected you to speak up, ensure the complainant is protected and demand an independent investigation. Remove Karimbaksh from his position and place him on administrative leave pending the investigation.”
Demonstrators concluded the action warning that until the government and police executive relieve the Deputy Commissioner of command, peaceful picketing and public scrutiny will continue outside state and security installations.
