Police Commission withdraws promotion of Mc Lennon charged for obstructing justice in Bacchus’ murder but ignores remaining questionable appointments

McLennon is one of the three policemen charged for the death of 23-year-old Quindon Bacchus of Haslington, East Coast Demerara. Bacchus was shot and killed on 10^th June when the police were allegedly in the area conducting a sting operation for illegal weapons. The postmortem report, released by the Police, stated that he died from multiple gunshot wounds. The father of one was shot six times- five times to the back and once to the chest.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, on 4^th July recommended the Guyana Police Force proceed with charging Lance Corporal Kristoff DeNobrega for murder for the fatal shooting of Bacchus; and charging Lance Corporal Thurston Simon and Sergeant Dameion McLennon for obstructing the course of justice in relation to the murder. . The police men appeared Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on 5^th July to answer to the charges. In a video seen by Village Voice more than three officers were seen at the scene of the incident and placing Bacchus’ body into the police vehicle

Mc Lennon, apart from being before the court on criminal charges to obstruct justice, is also part of the 250 police who were promoted by a Commission not constitutionally constituted.  Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway, in a recent letter to the press addressing the legality of the present Commission, pointed out that there are only four members of a constitutionally required five-member commission. The court has been asked to rule on the legality of the Commission.

Last month the Commission promoted 250 police into officer ranks. And whereas the Commission has moved with haste to withdraw McLennon’s appointment they have ignored members on the list whose promotion is questionable, including those who have matters pending against them.

Conway advised that “Several of the very senior officers promoted have disciplinary and other matters pending against them which the Chief Justice ruled is a bar to promotion; numerous supersessions without justification took place; of the twenty-one officers who were elevated to superintendents, fifteen were assistant superintendents and one was an inspector (unprecedented)”

Also, “one sergeant who did not even write the Appropriate Qualifying Examination was promoted to assistant superintendent; there were many other promoted ranks who did not pass or even write the Appropriate Qualifying Examination; Sergeant Dameion Mc Lennon who was promoted to the rank of Cadet officer and who was under investigation in relation to the murder of Quindon Bacchus [faced the] Court on a criminal charge of attempt to obstruct the course of justice [and] there are many more irregularities,” Conway highlighted.