(Kaieteur News) – The Women’s Advisory Committee (WAC) of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has expressed “deep outrage and profound concern” over grave allegations of rape, systemic harassment and gun-related threats levelled against Deputy Commissioner of Police and Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Fizal Karimbaksh, by a female Police Inspector.
According to the WAC, the formal police report contains allegations of multiple instances of forced sexual relations, explicit threats to life involving a firearm and abuse of power allegedly occurring within the headquarters of the Guyana Police Force.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Fizal Karimbaksh.
The Committee described the allegations as “tragic and sad,” particularly because they involve an institution entrusted with protecting citizens and upholding the law.
“The allegations as described have to be traumatic to the female rank and to her family,” the WAC said, stressing that all persons are equal before the law. The Committee also criticised what it described as the “snail crawl” in delivering justice to the female officer, arguing that the delay appears to demonstrate disregard for her calls for impartiality.
The WAC said the allegations, if established, represent serious violations of human rights, workplace safety and the institutional integrity of Guyana’s law enforcement apparatus.
As an organisation dedicated to protecting the rights, safety and dignity of women in the public sector, the Committee said it is particularly concerned that Karimbaksh remains on active duty while the allegations are being investigated. “Leaving an accused perpetrator of high-ranking power in active control of his office creates an environment ripe for witness intimidation, systemic bullying, and the tampering with crucial evidence,” the WAC stated.
The Committee further argued that the State’s handling of the matter undermines the Decent Work Agenda and is inconsistent with the principles of ILO Convention 190, the Violence and Harassment Convention, which seeks to ensure workplaces are free from violence and harassment.
The WAC is therefore demanding immediate action, including the placement of Karimbaksh on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. It is also calling on the Police Service Commission and other relevant oversight bodies to intervene and ensure that the investigation is independent, transparent and free from interference.
The Committee is further demanding comprehensive psychosocial, legal and professional protection for the female Police Inspector and any witnesses who come forward, particularly protection against workplace retaliation and victimisation.
“It is a stain on our public institutions that those months have elapsed before this female officer’s cries for justice were formally acknowledged,” the WAC said.
The Committee declared its “absolute solidarity” with the female officer and women in uniform, while calling for an end to what it described as a culture of silence, protectionism and institutional complicity surrounding powerful alleged perpetrators.
“The culture of silence, protectionism, and institutional complicity surrounding powerful perpetrators must end today,” the WAC said.
Source: Kaieteur News
