Last Updated on Sunday, 11 October 2026, 19:55 by Written By Denis Chabrol
Deputy Police Commissioner Fizal Karimbaksh, who is accused of raping a female police officer, is refusing to go on administrative or pre-retirement leave pending the outcome of a probe because there is no Police Service Commission (PSC) to order him to do so.
“You are hereby placed on unequivocal notice that, should you seek to compel my client to proceed on pre-retirement or administrative leave without lawful authority, I am instructed to institute legal proceedings without further notice, seeking urgent interim relief where necessary, together with all other appropriate relief and costs,” the lawyer also said.
Efforts to obtain Mr Hicken’s letter to Mr Karimbaksh, who is the head of the force’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) were unsuccessful.
But the lawyer strenuously objected to the Police Commissioner “compelling” Mr Karimbaksh to proceed on pre-retirement leave and that he was eligible for 174 days of annualised vacation leave before retirement which should start on November 8, 2026. “For the avoidance of doubt, my client does not consent to compulsory pre-retirement leave on the basis presently advanced. He remains ready and available to discharge his duties and comply with lawful directions. His position must not be construed as acquiescence in an enforced absence, acceptance of the disputed leave calculation, or waiver of any right,” the lawyer said. Deputy Police Commissioner Karimbaksh is also disputing the duration of the annualised leave that he is entitled, saying that it is actually 118 days rather than 174. “The calculation and consequent commencement date are therefore expressly disputed,” the lawyer said on behalf of his client. He also told the Police Commissioner that including November 8, 2026 in his letter does not amount to an agreement to that date or “establish authority to compel the proposed leave.
“A general reliance upon command authority does not resolve the distinct question of the legal basis for compelling my client’s absence” and “any such vacancy does not, of itself, transfer its powers to you or another authority,” he said.
Source: Demerara Waves
