As of April 29, 2026, public scrutiny is mounting over delayed compensation for promoted and transferred police officers, with top officials addressing growing concerns about unmet pay obligations in a recent public briefing. A journalist from the outlet pressed Elton Bennett, chief executive officer of the Ministry of Home Affairs, on two key questions: whether annual salary increments for police personnel are being held up, and if officers who earned promotions are receiving the adjusted pay they are entitled to.
Bennett clarified that there are no ongoing backlogs or issues with the disbursement of annual increments, noting that he has not encountered any unprocessed increment requests during his tenure. However, he openly acknowledged that a number of outstanding payments remain stuck in bureaucratic processing, including one-off transfer grants and adjusted salary emoluments linked to recent promotions. Bennett admitted that applications for these delayed payments regularly cross his desk for review, confirming the backlog is an ongoing issue.
When the reporter followed up asking if all outstanding payments are moving through administrative channels on a reasonable timeline, Bennett asserted that the process is being handled in a timely manner. Despite this official confirmation, the response offers little immediate relief for the officers waiting for their rightful compensation. Many have been waiting weeks or even months for pay adjustments after changing ranks or stations, and the acknowledgment of a backlog does not speed up the deposit of owed funds into their accounts.
This report is a transcribed version of an evening television news segment broadcast by the outlet, with any regional Kriol language statements adapted to standard English spelling for clarity in the online publication.