Wayne Hayde complains about Griffith

UPDATE:

COMMISSIONER of Police (CoP) candidate Wayne Hayde has complained of apparent breaches of confidentiality in the selection process for the top cop post, and the release of information by one of the other shortlisted candidates.

In a letter to Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Bliss Seepersad, attorney Fulton Wilson, who is seeking Hayde’s interests, said the breaches of confidentiality further undermined Hayde’s rights “to fair and equitable treatment.” He wants an urgent investigation into the breaches.

Wilson drew Seepersad’s attention to media reports on the nomination of former national security minister Gary Griffith. Griffith’s nomination is expected to be debated in Parliament on Monday. Reports have suggested his nomination is favoured by the government.
In his latest letter to the PSC chairman, Wilson also referred to statements by the Prime Minister in Parliament that the next candidate for nomination was Griffith.

“We submit that the latest information in the media represents a continuing pattern of confidential leaks which furthers the interests of Mr Griffith and defeats the legitimate interests of our client and other candidates,” said the letter.

“In particular we wish to draw your attention to statements and comments made by or attributed to Mr Griffith relating to the outcome of the CoP selection process, which our client views as being a serious breach of confidentiality.” The letter referred to a newspaper report in June on a pre-action protocol letter sent by Griffith’s attorney to the PSC, in which the former minister was quoted as saying he was the top candidate and complained of having his points altered from 81.94 per cent, after he was graded by experts in the field, followed by the PSC conducting its own “biased process” and dropping him by over 23 per cent, using a system it wanted to get its own result.

It also referred to a June television report in which Griffith claimed that the PSC “threw him out of the top five,”  and a radio broadcast in which he attributed “sources” as providing him with the confidential information relating to his scores and placement in the selection process.
“Our client submits that the confidential information released by Mr Griffith into the public domain could only have come from a person or persons associated with the PSC/KPMG, since this was given prior to the debate in Parliament.

“Mr Griffith has used the information to further his own interests and build public support for his nomination and selection as COP. Such an advantage had not been given to our client and therefore constitutes a breach of his right to fair and equitable treatment.”
Wilson called on the PSC to do an urgent investigation and take appropriate action to remedy the harm done to Hayde.

“Our client submits that failure to properly and adequately address this matter will not only prejudice the rights of our client, but will also undermine public confidence in the ability of the PSC and/or the office of the CoP to receive and retain confidential information.”
Hayde wrote to the PSC last week, threatening court action over its flawed selection and nomination process.

Hayde, who had been working overseas for the past two decades, applied for the post of CoP and was interviewed by the PSC in November and December last year .
His attorney described the action of the PSC in taking him off the shortlist of candidates, presumably because of his age, as “capricious, arbitrary and unfair.” The PSC is yet to respond to the pre-action letter.
Last Friday Parliament rejected the nomination of acting CoP Stephen Williams, as it did with deputy CoPs Deodat Dulalchan and Harold Phillip previously.

ORIGINAL STORY:

COMMISSIONER of Police candidate Wayne Hayde has complained of apparent breaches of confidentiality in the selection process for the top cop post, and the release of information by one of the other shortlisted candidates.

In a letter to Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Bliss Seepersad, attorney Fulton Wilson, who is seeking Hayde’s interests, said the breaches of confidentiality further undermined Hayde’s rights “to fair and equitable treatment.” He wants an urgent investigation.

Hayde wrote to the PSC last week threatening court action over its flawed selection and nomination process for the top cop position.

Hayde, who had been working overseas for the past two decades, applied for the post of CoP and was interviewed by the PSC in November and December last year, .

His attorney described the actionsof the PSC in taking him off the shortlist of candidates, presumably because of his age, as “capricious, arbitrary and unfair.”

Last Friday Parliament rejected the nomination of acting CoP Stephen Williams as it did with deputy CoPs Deodat Dulalchan and Harold Phillip previously.