Embattled Home Affairs PS should proceed on leave- MP Chandan

A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Ms. Geeta Chandan-Edmond, in a recent statement, has called for Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas to proceed on leave.

In a social media post the Member of Parliament (MP) stated she viewed with deep concern, the incident involving Thomas, which occurred at the Miami International Airport where her cell phone was seized and United States (U.S) visa later revoked, along with media report she is on a U.S watch list, has caused even greater concern.

According to Chandan, “thus far what the public knows is that the PS’s phone was confiscated, she was interrogated for hours by US border agents and her US visa was revoked. All this was not by chance or random suspicion as she was apparently on a list of persons of interest.”

Another concern of the MP is the public does not know why the PS was placed on the watch list, how this will affect her duties or what is the government’s stance on the matter.

It is well known, Chandan said, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government is of the belief that if a matter is ignored long enough, it will eventually go away, but Thomas’ position is too important. “She is the Permanent Secretary of a vital Ministry.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs is the epicenter of all international security cooperation arrangements with Guyana and of course the Ministry has control over agencies responsible for law and order locally, Chandan advised.

According to the MP, events recently unfolded would obviously undermine public confidence in the PS and by extension, the ministry.

“The chief accounting officer of the security ministry and the point person for several key security programmes cannot also be a person who is smeared internationally. There simply cannot be business as usual at the Home Affairs Ministry while its PS is under international investigation.”

Chandan said, “until the public is fully appraised of the facts of the matter, until confidence can be restored, until the government can have an official position on the matter, PS Toussaint Jr. Thomas ought to proceed on administrative leave.”