CoP: We found no wrongdoing in senior cop probe

Commenting on the ongoing PCA probe, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith, in an interview with Sunday Newsday, said the police investigation was done to confirm if there was “any criminal wrongdoing by that said individual, and there was no evidence that we had to verify that any criminal action had taken place.”

He noted that the PCA was doing a parallel investigation into the Hackshaw issue and said the police service “will continue to provide information to the PCA as they request, almost immediately.

“So if and when they complete their investigation, it will then be brought to the attention of the PSC and also myself as the Commissioner of Police and we will act accordingly.

“Until then the Police Service can only act on evidence that is given to us that we acquire. We cannot act based on comments that may be made on the ground, based on perception, based on rumour.”

Griffith acknowledged that the investigation was a matter of public interest and said he “will not in any way cover up or condone any wrongdoing in the police service.”

In the same breath, he said, “I cannot just go on a witch-hunt and just decide to take action unless it is that evidence is brought forward.

“I ensure that all the investigations that take place in the police service are impartial. We are an independent organisation, we are not here to make decisions to please the majority. If that was the case I would not have closed the gates that I have done over the last few months.”

Of the Hackshaw probe, Griffith said it was “a very straightforward investigation.”

He said the findings of the police investigation did not show that the person committed a criminal act, as mentioned in all the other cases such as E-mailgate, Cambridge Analytica, or any other case that was closed recently.

He reiterated that if anyone has information that could bring forward or could shed new light on that investigation, it would be reopened. ​

Griffith said there were thousands of matters under investigation by the white-collar crime unit, and he could not have police officers “looking for a needle in haystacks, looking for evidence that will please the population.”​

The job of the police, he said, was: “to verify evidence if a crime was committed. We are not here to make decisions to please political parties.”

Asked why such a high-profile matter had not been referred to the DPP for advice, Griffith said on Saturday that there was no requirement that every single matter involving police officers goes to the DPP for advice.​ The police service has its own legal unit headed by attorney Christian Chandler.

“You need to understand the role and function of the DPP, if and when the police go to the DPP. You cannot be using the DPP as an avenue just to be pumping every single case that comes in, someone steals two mangoes – you go to the DPP.

“If there is a case that is very technical and it requires guidance, we will go to the DPP.

“I am not going to bombard the DPP every single time there is a case, or every single police officer goes to the DPP. It would be unfair to the DPP and very inappropriate to do that...You not going to the DPP for a case like that.”

He admitted it was not ideal for donations to the police service to be deposited in the personal account of an officer.​

But he said, “(From) the reports I have received prior to my tour of duty, this seems to be something that was taking place quite a bit. It is not the ideal situation, which is why it is as CoP we established the I Support Our Service (campaign).

“There must be a degree of accountability. Every single cent that the police acquire from the private or public sector must be accounted for, and I need to know. It is not that it should be going into the personal accounts of individuals.

“What happened in the past I cannot change. I could only change what would happen under my watch.”

While acknowledging that donations going into someone’s account and coming back out of that person’s account can be viewed as “an untidy situation,” he pointed out that it was not in itself an accusation that someone had done something wrong.​

“Sometimes police officers do it because they thought it was the fastest mechanism to get the job done.

“That is not the way it should be done. The police service must have the highest degree of accountability and standards. That should not be procedure.​

“(If) any member of the public wants to give any funds or donations or use the police service as a conduit towards assisting communities in certain places, we do it through I Support Our Service. There is an account to determine where every single cent is accounted for.”​