Guyana deputy police commissioner sent on leave amid rape allegations

Guyana’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Fizal Karimbaksh has been placed on leave pending an investigation into allegations of rape and threatening behavior, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has confirmed.

The force said Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken established a team to investigate the allegations after receiving a report.

The female police inspector who filed the report has also been transferred from the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), which Karimbaksh heads, to Regional Police Division 4 ‘A’.

“The Guyana Police Force wishes to assure the public that the allegations are being treated with the seriousness they warrant and that the investigation will be conducted professionally, impartially and in accordance with established procedures,” the force said.

The GPF added that investigations are ongoing and that all parties would be afforded due process.

Last week, Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond said she intended to meet with Hicken to discuss how to address the allegations.

Walrond said the Police Service Commission would ordinarily be responsible for such matters but noted that the commission was not currently constituted.

“I would assume that it’s a discussion we need to have between the commissioner and myself on how we address that,” she said.

Walrond also expressed support for placing Karimbaksh on administrative leave while the investigation proceeds.

“However, it is my view, and I hold this strong view, that he should be sent on administrative leave pending the investigation,” she said.