GOG PICKS CROOKED POLICE CHIEF DESPITE REVOKED VISA

S E C R E T GEORGETOWN 000725 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS WHA/CAR INL/LP DS/IP/WHA DEPT OF JUSTICE - OIA FOR PPETTY, OPDAT FOR RLIPMAN CARACAS ALSO FOR LEGATT AND DATT PORT OF SPAIN ALSO FOR DEA AND A/LEGATT SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2016 TAGS: SNAR PGOV PINR PREL KCOR GY SUBJECT: GOG PICKS CROOKED POLICE CHIEF DESPITE REVOKED VISA REF: A. STATE 118421 ¶B. GEORGETOWN 708 ¶C. GEORGETOWN 704 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael D. Thomas For Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) SUMMARY: The GoG moved ahead with its plan to elevate Deputy Commissioner Henry Greene to Acting Police Commissioner, despite his visa ineligibility for involvement with drug traffickers. Greene assumed his new position July ¶24. Greene's elevation will bring much international assistance to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to a halt. This issue reveals a real stubborn streak in Jagdeo -- he is doggedly sticking with Greene, knowing that he is corrupt and incompetent, that doing so strains Guyana's security situation and its foreign relations, and imperils GPF operational efficiency. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- July 18: U.S., UK, Canada, EU Discuss Greene with President -------------- -------------- ¶2. (S) Charge met with President Jagdeo July 18 to convey DEA-provided language regarding Henry Greene's ties to narco-traffickers. At their request the UK, Canada and EU chiefs of mission accompanied Charge to reemphasize their own governments' serious concerns about Greene. Jagdeo had Head of the Presidential Secretariat Roger Luncheon and Foreign Minister Insanally with him. ¶3. (S/NF) Charge repeated for Jagdeo's benefit what Ambassador Bullen had told Luncheon July 12 -- that Greene's name has appeared repeatedly in reports from various USG agencies -- and that as Ambassador had promised, we had sought authorization from U.S. law enforcement agencies to pass on some of that information (ref C). Jagdeo claimed that Luncheon had not briefed him on this. Charge read him the DEA-provided language: "U.S. law enforcement has reliable reports from multiple sources that Henry Greene has benefited from, and continues to benefit from, the proceeds of drug trafficking." Jagdeo reacted badly. He complained in strong terms that the USG "never" shares intelligence information and had not said anything before about having concerns with Greene. He went so far as to tell Luncheon to stop all GoG intelligence sharing with the Embassy. At a couple points when Jagdeo was catching his breath, Charge reiterated that we, UK and Canada had in fact expressed our concerns about Greene in the past on several occasions and at senior levels of the GoG. Charge expressed USG's desire to continue cooperation with the police, but explained that in addition to legal complications, many types of cooperation would not be prudent if Greene became top cop. Jagdeo said they had announced Greene and will move forward with him, and that's final -- in October, after elections, the GoG will consider a permanent successor. ¶4. (S) The conversation moved to more congenial topics before Charge reengaged Jagdeo on the Greene issue. Then Jagdeo, in a more amiable tone, admitted that rumors abound about Greene, but implausibly maintained the GoG does not have anything solid they can use against him. He said the situation is difficult because they have already announced that Greene will move up. But if the U.S. were to take some action, like revoking Greene's visa, it could provide the GoG the needed cover to reconsider the decision. Luncheon then reminded Jagdeo that although Felix starts pre-retirement leave on July 24, he technically remains on the job and could be called back to duty. ¶5. (S) After taking leave of Jagdeo, Luncheon pulled Charge aside in the hallway and reiterated several times that it will be difficult to rescind Greene's advancement after the end of this week. Luncheon indicated that if they soon learned that Greene's visa was revoked, they would prevent Greene from taking over from Felix. -------------- -------------- July 20: Department Concurs, Post Revokes Greene's Visa -------------- -------------- ¶6. (S) Consul revoked Greene's previously-issued B-1/B-2 visa July 20 based on information recently developed by DEA and with Department's concurrence (ref A). He is ineligible under section 212(a)(2)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Greene broke into tears when informed of this, fearing the embarrassment the revocation will cause, and denied involvement with drug trafficking. He expressed surprise that the revocation was not due to his "troubling the girls". (Note: Allegations of rape have dogged Greene throughout his career. Insiders tell us that the victims include at least five policewomen. Greene uses his rank to intimidate victims into not speaking out, but his behavior is widely known within the police force.) ¶7. (C) Charge was unable to speak with Jagdeo, Luncheon, or Minister of Home Affairs (and voice of reason in the GoG) Gail Teixeira July 20 but received a letter from Luncheon late in the day. The letter reprised Jagdeo's accusations that the USG withheld compromising information about Greene until the eleventh hour. The letter made it clear that the GoG would move ahead with plans to elevate Greene to Acting Commissioner. -------------- July 21-24: GoG Sticks with Greene -------------- ¶8. (S) Charge spoke briefly on July 21 with Luncheon, who explained that the GoG was proceeding with its announced decision to elevate Greene. The following day, Charge met with Luncheon for a broad ninety-minute discussion. Luncheon appeared uncomfortable and defensive talking about Greene. He accused the U.S. of essentially wanting a veto over Guyana's police and army chiefs. He lamented that the Office of the President does not have hard evidence of Greene's wrongdoings, reiterating that the GoG cannot act on the basis of rumor. The idea that the USG has better information on GoG officials than he does clearly gets under Luncheon's skin. He tried to dismiss Greene's tarnished reputation, saying that all senior GoG officials have skeletons in the closet. -------------- Consequences -------------- ¶9. (C) Greene's new position will have consequences on foreign assistance involving the GPF. Post does not currently have any programs with the GPF that fall under the Foreign Assistance Act or the Arms Export Control Act. However, there are other types of assistance that it would not be prudent to implement as long as Greene is in charge. For example, DEA told Post it cannot proceed with establishing a vetted anti-narcotics unit if Greene is Commissioner. Also, the ATF is pulling out of its scheduled installation of a gun-trace computer terminal to help the GPF track firearms. Post will continue to evaluate carefully all proposed cooperation and interaction with the GPF -- to determine how it will advance USG interests and how the public will interpret it. ¶10. (S/NF) UK High Commissioner Fraser Wheeler spoke with Jagdeo three times between July 21 and 24 to convey Her Majesty's Government's concerns about Greene's elevation. Wheeler told Jagdeo that he had an offer to provide the GPF with pre-election security training, but cannot go ahead if Greene is top cop. Jagdeo replied that he is under intense political pressure to stick with Greene. The source of this pressure is unclear. In fact, Post has yet to hear anyone defend Greene as a qualified, deserving candidate for the Commissioner job. ¶11. (S/NF) The Canadian High Commissioner also told Charge that his government will cease all cooperation with the police if the Greene appointment goes through. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶12. (S) It now appears that Jagdeo and Luncheon did not seriously entertain the idea of calling off Greene's appointment as Acting Commissioner. Immediately after Charge's July 18 meeting with them, Jagdeo informed EU Ambassador that the decision was made and final. This contradicts what he told Charge -- that revoking Greene's visa would give the GoG cover to back down. Luncheon and Jagdeo have been disingenuous throughout this episode, especially in protesting they were unaware of our concerns about Greene. Earlier in the year, Charge, UK and Canada High Commissioners had long discussions with Teixeira regarding Greene. Teixeira has described in some detail her struggles to get Jagdeo and Luncheon to come around to her point of view. Ambassador made USG concerns extremely clear to Luncheon on July 12; UK and Canada High Commissioners did the same with Jagdeo on July 12 when informed of the GoG's intention to elevate Greene. ¶13. (S) Comment continued: The path forward looks tricky. We now turn our attention to limiting the damage Greene causes and pushing for an effective permanent Commissioner to be named quickly after the elections (slated for August 28). Luncheon, clearly a Greene protector, may not be around long after elections (ref C),but Jagdeo poses his own problem. At times, Jagdeo comes across as a practical, level-headed leader -- meaning well but hampered by a cabinet full of old party cronies. At other times, however, Jagdeo seems enamored by the image of Guyana as victim -- a poor, little country pushed around by the rich powers. In such instances, he lashes out at diplomatic pressure and makes decisions like this one that are, frankly, bad for Guyana. End comment. THOMAS