The Tribune

THE police probe into allegations of corruption is one we have written about in this column previously. It is a matter of the highest importance.

One of the things we have pointed out is that the severity of the allegations are such that a very clear, thorough investigation is needed in order to ensure confidence in our police force as a whole.

Comments from not one but two ministers with regard to the investigation recently have been cause for concern.

Last week, National Security Minister Wayne Munroe commented on the recent murder of Oral Roberts. Roberts was a suspect in the $1.4m bank security car robbery in November that is linked to the voice notes that sub- sequently circulated and sparked the corruption investigation.

The mother of Oral Roberts, Mizpah, said his death came after he spoke to officers as part of the corruption investigation – and she said officers had warned him not to speak to other police officers.

The death was unsettling, with speculation that it was linked to the corruption probe – albeit without any evidence presented.

Mr Munroe said bluntly that Roberts was involved with the robbery – albeit that he had not been convicted in court of such as yet. He then speculated that the reason for his murder might have been because of the $1.4m. He said: “He is the third person who was involved in the robbery who has been killed, and the money hasn’t been recovered, and some people may be interested in $1.4m.”

His comments were criticised by FNM chairman Dr Duane Sands – and they were presented without any evidence of his own to back them up.

The fact is the investigation of that murder is ongoing, and ought to be left to officers or prosecutors to state what happened rather than ministerial speculation.

And yesterday Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said that former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis should “shut up” and be “quiet” rather than calling for a Commission of Inquiry into the matter.

Mr Mitchell said that “for good or ill” the police force is “all we got”.

He said that the investigation will be transparent, but said “we are not going to be a party to damaging the police force because all the kids who want to join the police force, what are they gonna think?”

We would hope that those would-be officers would be able to distinguish between calls for thorough investigations into alleged bad actions by individuals is very different from criticising the force itself.

Indeed, the very action of taking such allegations seriously and pursuing them at the highest level ought to reinforce – whatever the outcome of such a probe – confidence that the force and our governing bodies deal with allegations properly.

So, far from damaging the force, dealing at the highest level with allegations arising from an incident where three of the people allegedly involved have been murdered should strengthen belief in the force’s integrity.

Officers from the UK are due to arrive for a role in the investigation – and that is right and proper, to ensure independent representation in the probe.

But speculation at a ministerial level or suggestions that calls for proper investigations could be harmful to the force’s reputation are unhelpful.

This is a serious matter, and should be dealt with as such.