Rickford Burke, the President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID), has responded to comments made by the Acting Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken. Burke has called Hicken a “fugitive from intellect, integrity & decency” and a “disgrace as Police Commissioner.”
In a press release by the CGID, Burke condemned Hicken for being a “political flunky” and a “house slave of the PPP who unlawfully commandeers Police officers to engage in PPP political activism.” The CGID President added that Hicken’s activities brought the entire Guyana Police Force into disrepute.
The response from the GPF called Burke a “fugitive from justice” in Guyana and a “criminal element.” However, Burke dismissed the accusations as laughable and an abuse of power. He highlighted that the GPF had issued illegitimate wanted bulletins against him at the direction of the apartheid PPP regime, an attempt to silence him speaking out against PPP racism and corruption in the US.
Burke defended himself as a champion of civil rights, racial justice, equality and human dignity for African Guyanese, speaking truth to power. He called the wanted bulletins an abuse of power intended to silence him and vowed to continue speaking out against PPP racism and corruption.
Burke further criticized Hicken for attempting to malign a Black leader, when he, himself, was the most corrupt and unqualified person to perform the duties of Police Commissioner. Burke stated that Hicken had no academic qualification and was an academic embarrassment with no CXC subjects. He added that Hicken’s alleged crimes included perjury before the Linden Police massacre Commission of Inquiry and the Presidential assassination plot Commission of Inquiry.
Burke concluded by asserting that the Guyana government and Police Force had no jurisdiction over anything he did or said as he lived in the US. He called on the US Embassy and the US government to withdraw all forms of assistance and cooperation with the GPF as long as Hicken was commissioner. The CGID also called on opposition leaders to block any attempt by the regime to confirm Hicken as the substantive Police Commissioner.
Burke’s response to Hicken’s comments was forceful and unapologetic. He highlighted Hicken’s alleged crimes and questioned his qualifications to be Police Commissioner. Burke defended himself against the accusations made against him, asserting that the GPF wanted bulletins were an abuse of power intended to silence him. Burke’s press release brings attention to issues of alleged corruption and abuse of power within the Guyana Police Force, sparking calls for reform and accountability.
