The Tribune

THERE are serious matters to be considered after the FNM complained of collusion between PLP operatives and the police.

The accusation arises out of the ongoing investigation over the alleged attack on the party’s vice-chairman, Richard Johnson, in November.

To be clear, that investigation is thoroughly warranted. Political nonsense around it is not.

On Monday, police officers reportedly visited the workplace of a senior FNM and later his home – which, if that is part of the investigation, it leads where it leads. Fair enough. He was asked to answer a few questions, and after some discussion about whether each was recording the other, he agreed to attend a police station to give a statement, says the FNM. Officers at his home had asked him to get into a police car.

However, what has raised some concern is that even before he entered the police car, apparently the word was running around on social media that the man was in police custody.

How did they know that? Was it announced beforehand to certain parties that police were going to speak to this man? Who leaked it to be spread around on social media?

The chief concern here is that it reflects badly on the independence and integrity of the police force.

How can there be faith in the investigation if tittle tattle is being spread around while the investigation is ongoing? How does that make anyone believe that the investigation is fair and unbiased?

It also strikes to the core of faith in the training of officers to do the right thing. As an officer, first and foremost should be the job in front of you, no more, no less.

This is not the first time there have been concerns over whether officers have been acting appropriately in the course of their duties.

For example, after a murder in April of last year, gruesome crime scene photos were leaked and shared on social media of a mother and daughter killed in the incident.

Police vowed to investigate, but months later there was still no update of whose phone may have taken and shared such pictures. Relatives believed they could only have come from the police.

Perhaps this is why Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander needs so many deputies, with us now having 14 deputy commissioners in what appears to be a top-heavy force.

Commissioner Fernander pointed to a lack of leadership in the force, noting a viral video of two young officers arguing in a police station and noting a “lack of supervision”.

Now we have 14 commissioners, perhaps one of those could lend a supervisory overview to see how it is that word went around of officers calling in on an officer of the FNM before the police car door even closed.

We need to have full faith in our police force that every investigation is approached in an even-handed fashion.

There should be no one chasing clout to spread the word on a noteworthy investigation or sharing gruesome pictures from a crime scene. That is individuals scoring points, not devoting themselves to the task at hand.

There seemed to be no outcome in the investigation of who shared the crime scene pictures – will an investigation of who leaked news of this latest incident be approached with more vigour?

As it stands, we have yet to hear if there will be an investigation at all. There should be. Police investigating political opponents of the incumbent government is a trademark of dictatorships. We are not that, and such behaviour should be stamped out, lest it be encouraged.