Immigration and police authorities yesterday refused to comment on the circumstances under which a senior police officer returned from Canada yesterday.

Senior Supt, Steve Merai returned to Guyana yesterday accompanied by his wife and children aboard an Air Transat flight which arrived here at about 5:30 am. Merai travelled to Canada in September and the following month applied for a year’s unpaid leave.

The Police Public Relations Office said it knew nothing of the issue and referred inquiries to the Commissioner of Police who is the Chief Immigration Officer. The Acting Commissioner, Floyd McDonald could not take the call when Stabroek News phoned his office but said that he would return it. He did not and when Stabroek News called his office later in the afternoon, the phone rang out.

Stabroek News was also unable to contact Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj as his office said that he was not in. Merai, who headed the controversial Target Special Squad, reportedly left for Canada to join his family and to seek medical treatment for an injury he had received in a shoot-out with bandits earlier in the year.