EAST INDIAN police officers claim they are being blocked from promotion to the hierarchy of the Police Service.

They fear this may be a straight case of “ethnic cleansing” that is taking place in the Service because they are denied a chance to reach among the executive, which comprises officers from the ranks of Assistant Commissioner to Commissioner of Police.

Senior officers say currently there is only one East Indian on the executive, Assistant Commissioner of Police Nazamul Hosein (head of the Traffic Branch) and he is going on pre-retirement leave next month.

A number of East Indian officers, who are in line to one day reach the executive, have been by-passed for promotion.

A total of 16 East Indians were among those blanked for promotion to the ranks of Assistant Superintendent to Senior Superintendent.

Among the acting Senior Superintendents who were not elevated to the rank of Senior Superintendent were: Gopichand Ganga, head of Northern Division; Krishna Maharaj, in charge of North Eastern Division; and Shah Mohammed, Guard and Emergency Branch.

Commissioner
of Police
TREVOR PAUL

National Security Minister
MARTIN JOSEPH

In the other ranks are Supt. Shaheed Mohammed, Complaints; Asgar Ramjohn, Special Branch; ASP Nizam Khan, ASP Bickram Baldeo, Inspectors D. Naipaul, Traffic; Mark Hansraj and Alladin Karim.

Four of them failed to make it to the rank of Senior Superintendent, four to the rank of Superintendent and eight who were supposed to move up to Assistant Superintendent.

A number of them have been acting in the posts and were hoping to be confirmed.

A week ago, the officers were handed letters showing that they did not get the required points for promotion.

More than 30 officers in the First Division, who failed to get promoted, have filed for judicial review. Attorney Anand Ramlogan is arguing their case.

The officers are saying there appears to be favouritism in promoting officers.

They pointed to reports that two non-Indian officers, who were between Nos. 24 and 27 on the list for promotion in two senior ranks, were given additional points to push them up high on the list to be further elevated.

One was given three points to have him promoted to the rank of Senior Superintendent and the other, more points to be promoted to the rank of Superintendent for charges he laid in a high-profile case.

The officers are complaining about the new points system, which is used to promote officers in the Second Division, arguing that this cannot apply to them because they are in a supervisory role.

They are also arguing that Merit and Commendation should not apply to officers in the First Division.

But Commissioner of Police Trevor Paul has been saying that merit-based promotion will be the basis on which officers will move up the ranks in the Police Service and not seniority, as was one of the main criteria in the past.

Paul stressed that the changing dynamics of the 21st Century mandated that officers seeking to get ahead would have to prove themselves worthy of higher office.

The Ministry of National Security is supporting the Commissioner saying it is “totally against” promotions based on seniority in the Police Service.

Some officers are saying that this new system is getting the support of National Security Minister Martin Joseph because the Government wants certain officers in key positions in the Police Service to carry out their dictates.

“They are going to handpick officers, even from the lower ranks and promote them above their seniors,” a source claimed.

“This is blatant ethnic cleansing of East Indians from top posts in the Police Service.

“Most East Indian officers are perceived to be UNC, that is why they want to keep them down,” the source added.