Let the chips fall where they may

THIS week, Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus was in the hot seat. Months of investigations by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) and the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) led to 30 charges against him, resulting in the payment of $6.2 million to secure bail. In some cases, he was charged along with his wife, and driver.

The charges relate to money laundering, defrauding the Guyana Police Force, misconduct in public office, obtaining money by false pretence to larceny, and liability of an official.
Also, Brutus faces some other 210 charges but has vowed to “speak it all”, according to the Big Smith Crime News. The Assistant Commissioner said, according to that news media, “that all evidence” on why the State and SOCU are coming after him will be revealed in court when the constitutional motion is heard. He has consistently claimed that there has been political interference in SOCU’s investigation into him and his wife.
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, said that anyone involved in corruption will face the music and be investigated. Neither he nor the Irfaan Ali administration has any tolerance for corruption and therefore any action against the senior officer would be based on the advice of SOCU and DPP. So, the PPP Government would take an arm’s length approach.

Dr Jagdeo, again, on Thursday, reiterated that the government was unmoved and unbothered by Brutus’ reported claims that he would “speak all” or “let the cat…out of the bag.” The government was standing behind SOCU on this matter and was preparing itself to answer each claim made in Brutus’ motion before the court. He highlighted that the senior policeman was entitled to take legal action if he felt his rights were being breached as every citizen is entitled to do.

“We have no fear in whatever he wants to say, we will deal with it later and at the appropriate time, but do you see us worried about this? Jagdeo replied after stating that “he could let out cats, dogs, pigs anything that he has and he wants to let out, let him let it out.

“He is hoping that maybe there will be fear in some quarters in the government that he could say something that’s compromising to us and they would relent on ensuring that justice is served; he got to be thinking again if that’s the case,” the General Secretary said.

It took issue with the Opposition apparently taking Brutus’ side and demonstrating their duplicity and hypocrisy on the issue. After the Alliance for Change (AFC) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) already upbraided Dr Jagdeo for his comments on the matter, he pointed to very chilling and terrible comments that their party would have made as they sought to cash in on the Brutus matter, milking it for all its worth.
On Friday, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, maintained the investigation was a sham and Dr. Jagdeo was deflecting because he knew that Brutus would squeal sooner or later. Norton accused Jagdeo and the government of corruption and said they had links to the underworld. He and APNU Parliamentarian Ganesh Mahipaul took the government to task on the handling of the entire Brutus matter, asking “who gave the instruction” to use SWAT in the case and a whole lot of other questions.

Norton restated his call for an international investigation, saying the government cannot use the police to probe the police. Using his rock-solid facial expression, Norton ranted and raged against Dr. Jagdeo and the PPP for trying to ‘cover-up’ its dealing with Brutus and the senior command of the police force.

Alas, Brutus withdrew the constitutional motion that he filed against the government; he was very confident in this motion. He wasted the court’s time and our imagination. He signaled his intention to file another less dramatic appeal. Does this mean he wouldn’t speak all? Or does he believe the government will not insist that SOCU and the DPP proceed with the other charges if they find sufficient evidence?
Firstly, Brutus should be forced to step down now that he is charged with money laundering and other crimes. The other policeman should also have the same or similar action taken against him. If the government is serious about money laundering and protecting the Guyana Police Force from having its reputation slandered further it should act now and give oversight advice on this matter.
Brutus and the other policeman should be evicted from the police headquarters for the entirety of the trial while they prove their innocence. After that, and only upon the outcome of these actions of the courts, the eviction should be revisited.

Also, the Assistant Commissioner should cease to collect his other pay and emoluments from the injured public treasury while the trial is ongoing. In other words, Brutus should use the time and his legal standing to defend himself and let the chips fall where they might but the government has to protect itself and the reputation of the police force.
Secondly, regardless of how Brutus or the opposition feels, the government by the words and actions of the General Secretary, who is also the Vice President, along with the Minister of Home Affairs, must ensure that they follow through with the law. All of the things and contact they make on this matter should be able to stand scrutiny and the test of time. Money laundering is a serious crime and all other charges brought so far against Brutus.

The government must know that others who are guilty and have a vested interest in the Brutus matter are looking and observing. It must not break under pressure and if it is accused of politically influencing the proceedings, it must be in a position to defend itself publicly with facts and clear information. The PPP/C administration must be seen and heard supporting SOCU and DPP as they try this case against Brutus and others.
The Attorney General and the Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, must arm himself and state counsel with the best type of legal representation. This is an interesting case that all Guyana will be following closely as the elections draw closer.

Thirdly, the opposition is weak and useless. Norton and Mahipaul belong to the wastebaskets of politics. Their arguments are the ‘same ole’ arguments that they made about Dr Jagdeo and the PPP, and without any evidence. They are like talking heads even though the issue is serious and troubling.
Norton, for instance, is so caught up in trying to score the cheapest political points that he misses the issue altogether. He shoots a ball and misses the ring. He can’t wait to show off how verbose he can be that he does not realize he is saying ‘nothing’ of consequence at all.

Mahipaul knows this, so he chimes in and seeks to save the day by asking questions about the issue to seek to Undermine the PPP and Dr. Jagdeo. Hey, instead, fails to meet the mark. Both parties are so busy spewing their venomous words at PPP that they fail to see the bigger picture. Probably, the government can give them glasses because it is clear as day.
Had there been an effective opposition group both Nigel Hughes and Norton would have made sure that they stand firmly behind the government and police force on this issue of allegations of money laundering and fraud against Brutus. They would have had fate in SOCU and the DPP to prosecute the offenders regardless.

By not standing by the government, they are sending a signal to the criminals and the would-be offenders. They are placing self-interest and their political interests ahead of that of State and People. The time for political probes and questions is not now, they are expected to give the government all of their political support to end the reign of financial criminals and protect Guyana from money launderers.
Why the shift in position? Why the opposition’s defense of Brutus? Is he secretly one of their financiers for the 2025 elections? Something doesn’t seem right! Norton and Mahipaul spent much time justifying the unfair and illegal aggrandisement of wealth that would sicken any healthy child or adult that witnessed them in action.

Finally, Dr. Jagdeo is clear. Let the chips fall where they may. Once the government’s hands and pockets are clean of all dirty money and proceeds of money laundering, it must show strength in this matter. There should be zero tolerance for corruption and fraud. There must be no compromise for police or thieves once found with a hand in the public’s purse or laundering money.
The lowest denominators are the ones that sit on the fence or are hemorrhaging from behind because they are sitting on the truth. Perhaps, they are the opposition because they want the politicians and foreigners to crack the puzzle when there is nothing wrong with the DPP, POLICE and the Court System here trying this matter. They want us to spend millions for foreigners to fight another case all the way to the CCJ when the truth is not hidden. It’s there in dollars and cents for all to see.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.