News Statement by
Fred Mitchell MP
 
For Immediate Release
 
Tuesday 30th December, 2008
Marsh Harbour, Abaco --
 
“There is a special need for the Minister of National Security to clarify remarks made in the Bahama Journal on Monday 29th December on the question of investigations into public figures.  While the statement was not in direct quotes, it gives the impression that there will be a concerted effort to investigate public figures by the police over the course of the next year, specifically sanctioned by the Minister and his colleagues.  Mr. Turnquest then goes on to make what seems a specious distinction between political interference in police investigations and control and direction of the Force by politicians.
 
“Mr. Turnquest’s comments come at a most serious time in the life of the Force when a decision must be made on who will lead the Force into the future.  The remarks come at a time when morale is at its lowest in the Force as a result of politically inspired divisions within the Force.  His remarks are reminiscent of what appeared to be a concerted campaign of innuendo and libel to attack sitting members of the PLP earlier in this year, resulting from leaks from a highly placed source in the police force.
 
“At the time, I expressed concern over these reports about ‘a sitting MP’, which caused both the Commissioner of Police and the FNM Chairman to deny that there was a politically motivated witch-hunt, but inquiring and reasonable minds can only be suspicious in light of the Minister‘s present comments.
 
“There is an innuendo that PLPs and those who support PLPs must be on their guard.  It has been part of the FNM’s political campaign in the past to smear the PLP and to seek to sully the history of the Progressive Liberal Party in the country.  Another subtext is the view espoused by FNM partisans that the PLP somehow interfered with the Police Force.  That is unequivocally a lie.  The public should know that the Police are subject to the jurisdiction and authority of civilian politicians.  The Police from the Commissioner on down must be respectful of and obedient to those politicians.  The public is reminded that it was no less a person than the Prime Minister who said that he reorganised the Force at the top and sent the two senior officers away on courses overseas.
 
“The Minister must be extremely careful then to make the suggestion that public figures may be the deliberate target of investigations and then seek to wash his hands by saying that there is no political interference in the work of the police.
 
“The question is whether or not the FNM is pursuing the same bankrupt approach to governance that they pursued prior to 2002 and which other Caricom Opposition parties who have become governments within the past year now seem to be pursuing.  In Belize, the government has put the Leader of the Opposition before the courts.  In Jamaica, former Ministers are the subject of police investigations.  Is this what Mr. Turnquest now means that the FNM will pursue?  He and his party must come clean on this matter.” --  end  --