Gov’t confirms senior police officer detained in US

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has confirmed that a senior official of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had been detained and questioned by United States law enforcement authorities at the John F, Kennedy International Airport in New York

Jagdeo, speaking at his weekly news conference on Thursday, confirmed that Superintendent Mitchell Caesar, the head of the country’s Major Crimes Unit, had been questioned by US authorities.

“From what I gather, a report was made to the superior officer, or the senior officer of that policeman. So that will engage the leadership of the police force and that’s where the matter will be dealt with,” Jagdeo told reporters.

“Personally, I did not seek to find out what it is related to because that should be dealt with by the police force,” he added.

Jagdeo’s statement followed that, of the Director of the Guyana Police Force’s Corporate Communications Department, Mark Ramotar, who said, “What I can confirm is that Mr Caesar is currently on vacation leave in the US”.

Jagdeo told reporters that, as a matter of US policy, the authorities there do not share immigration-related information with the government.

But, he said “if there is any criminality on the part of anyone in government, then, once the information is shared with us formally by the US government, there will be action taken against people”.

Media reports said that Caesar had reportedly travelled to India for training and had just returned to New York on his way to Guyana.

In April of last year, the then permanent secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs had her US visa revoked at the Miami International Airport as she was transiting to China.

She was forced to return to Guyana via the United Kingdom.