The Attorney General acknowledges publicly in the media that he performed an act which was in breach of the Public Health regulations which he was responsible for drafting,when he witnessed the police cautioning some residents of the HDC apartments in Embacadere.
He said, “I have been on the basketball court at Embacadere on umpteen occasions when the police have passed by and suggested even in my presence ‘hey, allyuh better watch yuhselves’.”
The Attorney General would have us believe that he observed the residents breaching the regulations but did nothing about it until the police came along and cautioned individuals.
Aside from the question of whether he was engaging in the breach himself providing, that is, that he engages in any sport, he is admitting that he stood there and witnessed a breach of the law he drafted and made no effort to remedy the breach, preferring to wait until the police intervened.
It sounds suspiciously as if the Attorney General mistakenly assumes that the public would be reassured that the police acted even handedly in the Bayside Towers situation. Such a conclusion is totally without foundation, which explains the AG’s lack of understanding of the real issues in the society but also his ignorance of the application of the law.
This is not just a case of black versus white, or rich versus poor. It revolves around the equal application of the law by the police to all citizens of the country. What would the honourable gentleman say to the 179 individuals who, according to the police, have been ticketed for not wearing masks?
The police spokesman was proud to announce the contribution these fines would make to the Treasury. It appears that this is the justification for the charges, not to curb the breaches of the law but to contribute to the Treasury, as if $179,000 would make a significant contribution to the billions which are spent every year.
The Attorney General’s argument that the police is applying the law evenhandedly lacks conviction and calls into question the Prime Minister’s decision to reappointment him to a post for which he is clearly not suited.