Submitted by the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)

The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) is calling for the removal of Guyana’s Police Commissioner Henry Green to facilitate a thorough and unbiased investigation into allegations he violently raped and falsely imprisoned a thirty-four year old mother of two at gun-point. The woman, the wife of a Guyana Defense Force officer, said the incident occurred at Secret Villa guesthouse, for which she said Green had keys to a room.

CGID President Rickford Burke said in a statement Wednesday that “Although Mr. Green himself as Police Commissioner has countenanced the abridgement of many a citizen’s right to natural justice, as well as egregious violations of human rights, he is entitled to due process and a presumption of innocence until convicted in a court of law.”

Burke however posited that the Institute’s call for Green’s removal is in no way a rush to judgment on the rape allegations. “This position is not a rush to judgment but was informed by a distressing accumulation of red flags including substantiated allegations of other criminal and unethical conduct; a determination by the US government that Commissioner Green ostensibly has criminal associations with and may have benefited from narcotics traffickers; the revocation of his US visa; the unchecked political bias of the Police under his leadership and their systemic failures to adequately fight crime,” he noted.

“In our opinion Mr. Green is irretrievably compromised and has repeatedly breached the public trust. His public indices for character and integrity are at their nadir. The nation does not repose any confidence in his leadership. Hence he is completely unfit to lead a law enforcement agency whose task is to maintain order and enforce the law.”

The alleged victim said she went to see Green on November 15, 2011 about an assault by a police officer whose wife was involved in an extra-marital affair with her husband. She claimed to have been assaulted by the officer over a video recording she secretly had made of his wife and her husband allegedly having sex in October 2011.

The victim related that after hearing about her plight Green appeared to empathize with her and assured her that he

would investigate the matter. She said the top cop even gave her money to attend to her kids on two separate occasions, totaling about $15,000.00 on November 15 and subsequent to the alleged incident.

The woman claimed that Green asked her to return the following week. She said upon her return on November 22, she was made to wait for hours until evening. When she finally saw Green it was night and he offered her a ride. She said that instead of taking her to her home, the Police Commissioner drove her to a hotel, forced her into the room and demanded that she remove her clothing.

The alleged victim said Green brandished his gun in the vehicle as well as in the hotel room. When she resisted he slapped her in the face and choked her into submission, she recalled.  Green then fitted himself with a condom and forcibly penetrated her, even choking her during intercourse, she alleged.

She furnished telephone records which purportedly establish that Green made dozens of phone calls and sent several text messages to her cellular phone from his private cellular phone after the incident.  The woman asserted that most of the subsequent communication from Green was threatening. She said Green also threatened to kill her on more than one occasion, and expressed fear for her life. She claimed to have sought but only received limited medical treatment.

She has retained the services of prominent Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, and has filed an official complaint at the Brickdam Police station in Georgetown. Reports are that Guyana’s Crime Chief as well as the Head of the Presidential Secretariat were aware of the incident before it became public.

Green has been previously accused of rape during President Desmond Hoyte’s administration. He was a senior superintendent at the time, and was reportedly sent on leave but reinstated after the investigation allegedly stalled over a lack of evidence.

Green’s US visa was revoked in 2006 by the US government for alleged involvement with criminals, including drug lords. The then US Ambassador to Guyana in 2006 warned then President Bharrat Jagdeo not to appoint Green as Police Commissioner, as he was possibly under DEA investigation and could be indicted by the US Justice Department.

Today CGID President Rickford Burke called on President Ramotar to end the culture of lawlessness in Guyana by demanding accountability from public officials beginning with Green. The CGID President noted that “Green has been previously accused of serious criminal wrongdoing and has not been held to account. He is a crook who is an embarrassment to the Guyanese nation,” Burke asserted.

The Institute’s head said that under the PPP justice in Guyana remains elusive, as there appears to be one law for ordinary citizens and another for individuals who hold governmental power. This, he said, has must stop now. “It is time to end the cycle of injustice in Guyana. If these allegations are deemed by the DPP to have merit, CGID expects that Mr. Green will be arrested, charged and prosecuted like any other citizen facing similar allegations would be.”

Burke called on Ramotar to “end Green’s tenure, as he is unfit to lead a law enforcement agency while under this cloud of alleged impropriety.”

Green, who has passed retirement age, has been retained by the PPP government on a month to month basis. Police sources say his retention has stagnated promotion among the force’s top ranks.