Former Commissioner of Police (CoP) Gary Griffith is questioning why the retired Justice Stanley John report was presented to the National Security Council and described it as alarming and of concern.
In further response to the leaking of the report, Griffith, on Tuesday, listed a number of reasons he thinks as to why the report should not have been presented to the NSC including since it mentioned the name of a Government Minister.
He also noted that the report, because, it went before the NSC, in which a Government Minister currently sits, places the life of a police constable, an informant, at risk. Griffith disclosed that retired Justice Stanley John, by letter to him dated, September 18th, 2021, stated, “I wish to reiterate that my remit does not involve an investigation into your goodself as CoP [Acting] nor to any police officer.”
Further to this, according to Griffith, “the Stanley John report was completed and submitted, according to the Sunday Express, to the Police Service Commission, and according to comments made by Minister of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds, also submitted to the National Security Council.
“Griffith said the statement by Minister Hinds, confirming the document was submitted to the National Security Council (NSC) is “both alarming and of concern. “He then listed a number of reasons including:
1. I submitted the name of a Minister, who currently sits on said National Security Council, who has been in receipt of a 5.56 firearm, and held same for over a period of one year, without payment to the dealer.
2. Justice John, by submitting this report to the same National Security Council upon which said Minister sits, has essentially ‘tipped’ off persons in contravention of Section 51 of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
3. The act of submitting a report with information directly pertaining to persons sitting on the National Security Council, begs the question as to why was the report presented to the National Security Council, with full knowledge that it contained information relative to members of said body?
4. Justice John’s report, according to the article in the Sunday Express highlighted a Police Constable, who made claims that he was approached by Senior Police Officers to engaged in acts of corruption.
This report, having made its way to the National Security Council [ which was NOT the body that initially engaged Justice John], then, finding its way onto the front pages of the Sunday Express, has now essentially threatened to place the life of said informant at risk.
Such a callous, calculated and odious undertaking as having a report such as this, leaked from one of two State bodies has contributed to the potential for detriment to the life and livelihood of an individual.
5. Additionally, when did the remit of Justice John’s review change? And under whose authority and instruction?
6. Considering the principle of Natural Justice has been ignored [I was not given the courtesy of a response, defence, nor copy of said report], since, according to Sunday Express, Justice John has stated that I broke the law by ‘breaching the firearms act’.
Griffith disclosed that he will pursue legal redress for the undertaking of a judicial review and to obtain a copy of the said report, for further consideration.
Reporter; Rhondor Dowlat