Dear Editor,

I write in response to your article, “Top Cop appoints team to probe rape allegation against SOCU head” (Kiskadee Watch, October 3, 2026). While the Officer in question is entitled to the presumption of innocence, the seriousness of the allegation and his senior operational position demand immediate precautionary action.

He should be sent on administrative leave with full pay now by the Commissioner of Police, with no official role in the Police Force until the investigation is over. The law provides for this in the absence of the Police Service Commission being in place.

This is not a punishment, and it is not a finding of guilt. It is the minimum professional, standard step required when a criminal allegation is made against an officer in the Guyana Police Force. Leaving him in operational command while his own force investigates the complaint is untenable and procedurally unsound. It exposes the investigation to real or perceived interference, and it undermines public confidence in the Guyana Police Force.  One man cannot be more important than a 150-year-old establishment.

Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond has already said it is her “strong view” that he should be sent on administrative leave. She should now ensure that happens, rather than merely expressing a preference publicly. The fact that the Police Service Commission is not yet constituted cannot become an excuse for inaction. The Commissioner of Police and the Minister must use their interim administrative powers to advance the arrangements that are available to them to stand the relevant officer down, with pay, and ensure he has no access to SOCU files, any police records, witnesses, or investigative resources.

The investigation must also be genuinely independent. A team drawn from the same force—especially from officers below the rank of Deputy Commissioner, will struggle to command public confidence. The Greene precedent in 2011–2012 showed the value of external investigators. Independent regional or external oversight should be brought in. But why are we struggling like this.  Why can’t President Irfaan Ali constitute the Police Service Commission immediately?

The proposed “confrontation” between the alleged perpetuator and the alleged victim is another serious concern. Section 42 of the Sexual Offences Act is clear: a complainant cannot be required to recount the complaint in the presence of the accused unless she wants to, and she cannot be required to face him except in a protected identification procedure. The investigative team must follow the law, not a routine police practice that can traumatize complainants.  

The Minister is right that this matter should not be tried in the court of public opinion. But administrative leave is not a trial. It is precisely how the authorities preserve the integrity of the investigation and avoid a public-opinion trial in the first place.

I therefore strongly urge:

1.    Immediate administrative leave for Deputy Commissioner Karimbaksh, pending the investigation.

2.    Independent oversight of the investigation, including external investigators if necessary but not below the rank of Deputy Commissioner (we have many Trinidadians and Jamaicans who can help).

3.    Full compliance with Section 42 of the Sexual Offences Act; no forced confrontation to mentally traumatize the alleged victim to force her to recant her allegation out of fear.

4.    Urgent constitution of the Police Service Commission so that proper disciplinary authority exists. Come on President Ali, you can do better than this.

Due process for the accused is essential. But so is public trust. A senior officer accused of rape should not remain in operational command while the allegation is investigated.

Yours faithfully,

Khemraj Harryram