THERE are moments when the strength of a government is tested not by what it says when circumstances are comfortable, but by how it responds when allegations strike at the very heart of an institution entrusted with protecting the public.
The allegations now confronting Deputy Commissioner of Police Fazil Karimbaksh, head of the Special, Organised Crime Unit, are therefore no ordinary matter.
A serving female police inspector has made allegations of rape and threatening behaviour against the senior officer. The Guyana Police Force has confirmed that a report has been received and that Commissioner of Police Dr Clifton Hicken has established a team to investigate the allegations professionally, impartially and in accordance with established procedures.
Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond has also taken a clear position. She has said that, in her view, Karimbaksh should be placed on administrative leave while the investigation proceeds, while acknowledging that the Police Service Commission is not presently constituted and that discussions are necessary with the commissioner on the appropriate mechanism.
Frankly speaking, the minister is right to insist that this matter must be treated with the seriousness it deserves. That position, however, must never be confused with a declaration that the accused is guilty.
I do not know the complainant. I hold no brief for Karimbaksh. I do not know the man personally, but as a respected journalist I know of him professionally.
He is entitled to the presumption of innocence. He has a right to due process, a fair investigation and, if charged, a fair trial. The allegations have not been tested before a court and no criminal finding has been made against him.
That is precisely why the investigation must be allowed to proceed without interference. The public must not try this case in the court of public opinion.
Social media is not a courtroom, Facebook commentary is not evidence, political statements are not verdicts and newspaper headlines are not convictions.
At the same time, protecting due process does not mean protecting anyone from legitimate investigation. Those are two entirely different things.
The appropriate response is neither a rush to judgment nor institutional paralysis. It is a professional, independent and lawful investigation in which evidence is gathered, witnesses are interviewed, the complainant is treated with dignity, the accused is afforded his legal rights and the facts ultimately determine what happens next.
If the evidence establishes that a crime was committed, then the full force of the law must follow. If the evidence does not establish criminal wrongdoing, that too must be respected. I think that is what the rule of law means.
Minister Walrond deserves recognition for making clear that rank cannot become a shield against accountability.
This is consistent with the position she articulated previously that the police force has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct and that allegations involving senior officers and subordinate female officers must be treated seriously.
In 2025, she said officers implicated in sexual-misconduct allegations at the Police Training College were removed from their duties pending disciplinary proceedings.
The government’s broader response to sexual offences is also significant.
In January 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs directed the Criminal Investigations Department and the Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate allegations of sexual exploitation, abuse of authority and misconduct at the Police Academy.
The ministry stated that anyone found to have engaged in wrongdoing, regardless of rank or position, would be held accountable under the law, while stressing due process.
And in July, the government advanced the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2026, which proposes, among other measures, stronger protections for vulnerable persons, improved treatment of evidence, greater victim privacy, a National Sexual Offences Task Force and a National Sex Offender Database.
These are important measures because the present controversy exposes a much larger institutional problem.
Sexual abuse and misconduct cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents simply because they are difficult to discuss.
A 2026 study examining sexual misconduct within the Guyana Police Force identified patterns of misconduct and associated under-reporting with distrust and fear of retaliation among officers. The study recommended stronger accountability mechanisms, improved reporting systems and trauma-informed leadership.
That should concern every decent-minded Guyanese. I know I am very concerned.
The police must be an institution in which a woman can report an allegation against a superior without fearing that her career will be destroyed. A junior officer must not feel that speaking up means jeopardising her livelihood. Equally, a senior officer must not be condemned merely because an allegation has been made against him.
The answer is institutional confidence.
This case could have a negative effect on the force. It could damage morale, public confidence and the reputation of the many police officers who perform their duties honourably every day.
That being said, it could also produce something positive and become a turning point.
If the investigation is conducted professionally, if complainants are protected, if evidence is followed without fear or favour, and if wrongdoing is punished regardless of rank, the message to the force will be
unmistakable: authority carries responsibility, not immunity.
That is the standard that must apply.
I will say that there must be no special justice for a deputy commissioner. There must be no lesser justice for a constable or inspector. There must be no different standard because the accused is powerful or the complainant is junior.
The same law must apply to everyone. If the evidence ultimately establishes that a serious sexual crime was committed, punishment must be severe and proportionate to the offence. Conversely, if the evidence does not support the allegations, the accused must be cleared without the permanent stain of an unofficial public conviction.
This is bigger than Karimbaksh. It is about whether Guyanese people can trust the institutions responsible for protecting them.
The government’s declared zero-tolerance position should therefore be measured by what happens next. Words matter, but action matters more. The investigation must be allowed to run its course. It must be professional, lawful, impartial and credible.
Minister Walrond has drawn an important line: allegations of sexual misconduct, particularly within an institution where power and rank are so consequential, cannot simply be ignored.
Now the system must do the rest. This is not politics, but justice.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.