MLAs amazed re SPIT jobs
(CNS): The move by the police commissioner to re-employ officers associated with the discredited operations of the UK’s special police investigation team (SPIT) has amazed a number of the islands’ political representatives. One Member of the Legislative Assembly said it was utter madness and another said that it wasunwise at best to re-introduce people associated with Operation Tempura. The independent representative for North Side, Ezzard Miller, said he had serious concerns about the impact on the RCIPS and said someone needed to intervene and buy out the contracts of those already given jobs. (Left: Martin Bridger the former SIO of SPIT).
On behalf of the opposition, Alden McLaughlin said it was an unnecessary move. The PPM MLA for George Town said, without commenting on the individuals that have been named so far, that recruiting people associated with what he described as a “disaster” would likely taint any future investigations and operations even before they began. “It is terribly unwise to have recruited individuals connected to that investigation,” McLaughlin added
Miller went even further in his condemnation and said he was “really disappointed” as he believed the new commissioner had been turning a corner over public perceptions of the police with the recent arrests and charges on violent crime.
“I just can’t fathom or comprehend why he would hire officers involved in that fiasco,” he said, referring to SPIT. “I can’t believe that in all of fair England our commissioner could not find two ex-police officers not connected to Operation Tempura, Martin Bridger or even the Metropolitan Police that have equal qualifications and experience,” he said.
The independent representative said he believed it had done untold damage to the newly repaired public perception of policing. Moreover, the MLA said he had already received countless representations from local officers who were seriously demoralised and would now be scared of their own shadow given the situation.
Miller said he may well bring a motion to the LA asking that government or the powers that be address the situation in the interest of the country and the Caymanians serving in the RCIPS and intervene by buying out the contracts of the officers involved.
Speaking at a press briefing last week, Premier McKeeva Bush said he did not believe the two officers given new contracts were directly involved in Operation Tempura but had been brought in to deal with the Cealt investigations.
However, both Richard Oliver, who is believed to have been appointed as head of the police’s own anti-corruption unit, and Dennis Walkington, who has also been given a full time RCIPS contract in the same unit, worked on the failed Operation Tempura cases against both Lyndon Martin over ‘Netnewsgate’ and Rudy Dixon, who were both found not guilty.
The premier noted that the elected arm of government could not interfere with police recruitment. “We were not involved,” he said. “The commissioner of police is the person in charge of this. We have no say in the matter of who he hires.”
Category: Headline News
A report in the TImes today illustrates the duplicitous nature of the British Government and its relations with its Overseas Territores.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7104266.ece
CNS: This is now posted in World News, if people want to comment on it. It’s a bit off topic here.
It was necessary for the greater good of the nation. And that should always be the priority of everyone who holds a British passport. Anything else is treachorous.
I don’t agree with it, but this seems consistent to me. Indeed, its the unwritten, but rampant and adamantly, enforced policy of "no accountability."
Talk about adding "insult to injury" or rubbing "salt inan gaping wound" This is clearly it !!!!!
Additionally, as the saying goes; "birds of the same feather…… they all flock together" or "it’s hard to soar like an eagle when you are surrounded by a bunch of turkeys" or "the leopard family don’t change their spots" This is so so true !!!!!!!!!!!
I would not be surprised one bit, if I hear next that Martin Bridger became the new Overseas Territories Police Advisor who is normally stationed in Miami.
RCIPS officers, you all can kiss the "Gazetted Promotions" good bye from now-onwards. This will only be reserved for the "arriving and established blokes from across the pond" It’s a pity that so many of you stupidly allowed yourselves from 2005 to be blind-folded and then be led like cattle to the slaughter.
OTRCIS (Overseas Territories Regional Crime Intelligence System) which is also operated out of Miami, is nothing more than selling computer technology to replace Briggs Gibbs andothers, after their "major screw up" in the Euro Bank Investigation which also costed us millions and millions of CI $$$$$$$$$ to settle in lawsuits against innocent persons like John Ray and others. Case in point, if you want to access the OTRCIS system, who/where do you get your password’s from ?? Is it not Miami !!! Can you change your password and access the system ?? NO !!!
Guys, the name of the game is called; enter, divide, conquer and rule in case you didn’t know or forgot.
My impression of the whole Operation Tempura fiasco (from the inside!) is that it was run by a bunch of people who couldn’t find their collective backsides with both hands.
It was, as has been well illustrated by the Daily Mail, a big jolly at the expense of the Cayman Islands and anyone who believes otherwise is only fooling themselves.
The bottom line is that no senior officer in the UK would release key staff on a job that has no direct relationship to the safety or security of the UK so they sent anyone who was spare at the time and the results show it.
To now take on some those who participated in the whole mess hardly generates confidence in the CoP’s ability to sort out the present crime wave in Cayman.
May I say that they will now take the credit for curbing the crime wave, and many will look at the local and tired officers as a bunch of losers! They have came too late and we will now be stuck in paying their salaries so they can finally find corruption on this Island!
I can tell you one thing – for sure there is more corruption up there than here!
Leave Baines alone he is just looking out for his own British
Government better pay Rudy Dixon what owed to him first.
Lets not forget Burmon Scott who was also dragged thru the dirt and humiliated because of this sh*t. He’s still waiting on some resolution to this problem too.
My people, this is a conspiracy to shut down Cayman. Get up, stand up dont give up the fight.
If Labour wins Cayman is finished.
Balantine and Gibbs. Balantine and Gibss. Balantine and Gibbs.
Mathew’s commentary (well written), The Unjust Clauses of Cayman’s Constitution 2009, shows us who and what we are up against –
The CNS report indicates that officers that were formerly involved with the SPIT & TEMPURA investigations have been rehired by the RCIPS. I find this quite amazing because I am sure that I heard the premier on radio just very recently saying that the officers that were recently rehired by the RCIPS were in no way involved with those two investigations, & I would like CNS to correct their story as I am positive that my premier never tells untruths (cough cough) & would never deceive the people in anyway (cough cough). I hope readers will detect the sarcasm, because I know better than that!
However, I would love CNS to investigate this matter because if in fact these recently rehired officers were involved with the SPIT & TEMPURA investigations I am asking the premier to publicly apologise to the Cayman people for telling us a "big fat lie." We know thathe & his UDP colleagues voted in support of continuing to fund these investigations despite the fact that our country is bankrupt, but I am appalled that he would get on to a call in radio show & tell us that the rehired officers were in no way involved in these investigations if they actually were. That is a "shame & scandal" & once again proves to the Cayman people what type of person is really is.
("CNS, please check so see if unna or the premier is correct")
Diverting the subject to the Premier
You must be PPM supporter
Correct me if I’m wrong, but is the Premier communicating with the commissioner and the governor on these decisions to bring back these controversial Police Officers? This is outlined in the constitution as a requirement, that the Premier and the Governor must consult together on matters concerning the police and the judiciary. Need I go back to basics that the Commissioner must consult with them both?
My next question; is the Premier sharing with his cabinet members and other MLA members details regarding these serious decisions being made that can turn our society upside down all over again at a hefty cost ?
Apparently not. If Mr. Ezzard Miller and other MLA’s are shocked then something is radically WRONG!
This picture is as confusing as Fort Knox!
Only 24 hours ago, Did not we all witness Mr. Bush’s public statement assuring the public that ‘NONE OF THESE OFFICERS BEING RECRUITED were in any way associated with the previous Investigative Operations?"!
Why then are his colleagues in the L.A. "In Shock & Awe?!"
Am I wrong for coming to the conclusion that he too is being deceived and is innocently deceiving us too? Even if not intentional.
Its time to screw your caps on real tight! making sure your brain is more than just a "hat rack!"
Yeah right… and I guess it was McKeeva’s decision all the way for us to grant so many status grants after Ivan!
You are trying to make this look like the UK has no involvement. As far as I know, it is outline that the Primier and Governor must consult together, BUT WHO HAS THE UPPER HAND?
IS IT NOT THE GOVERNOR?
;o)
Thank you Flo,You got it right again!
8:18 try to focus a little better, why you think status grants have anything to do with this RCIP decision to bring back these two officers, I can’t imagine. Help me out here….Everyone is on track you seem to be on the side lines "pouting" ! and that’s your perogative. But since you mentioned it….I’ll take you up on your comment asking you this one question "Who is benefiting from all the status Grants now, and who will benefit again in the future if we are not careful and stay clear of a dictatorship government in the future?The first draft constitution was amended and was written in such a way to control or limit the long reign of any politician year after year, its just not good for any country.Too many hands got into the constitutional amendment and review and this is the result of a watered down version. In case you’re asleep, that’s the reason countries like the United States and others put a limit on the number of times the same President (or Premier) can run for office. After a while they begin to think that the country’s money is their own personal property and that they represent their own corporation as CEO, instead of the country! and they think that its their own money they are spending!. Need an interpretation for that one?
The Bottom line is"–
Can we the people really trust any of them?
Namely:
The UK
The governor
The Premier
The RCIP Comissioner
This might sound foolish, but all we can really do is Pray, and vote out those that do not perform from the LA the rest is up to the UK.
I certainly will not sit down and pray. I must stand up and fight! I will go to the UN to have my rights as an Islander respected, or I will just have to sue those from the UK that don’t mean us well.
Sorry… a typical Caymanian response. Just do nothing and pray! I beg to defer
It might sound foolish that is because it is foolish. Cayman cannot and could not cope on its own.
Maybe the other well qualified Englishmen in the fair Isle of England who after reading the condemnation of expats, the police service, and listening to MLA after MLA condemning the RCIPs, the governor, the domestic worker and everyone else who is not Caymanian decided that no matter how much money they were being paid, they would not come.
Mr. Miller speaks bravely about buying out contracts, someone needs to ask him where is the money to come from. We can hardly afford to finish building schools for our children and he wants to buy out contracts of persons who have been hired by the Governor. Good going Mr. Miller. In times of crisis just spend what you do not have.
XXXX
I think he just wanted to hire them.
"the fair Isle of England" – what is taught here instead of geography?
they would come for a fat salary & fun in the sun & if they are here they don’t want to leave….to heck with the condemnation
Poor management decision making…
Baines clearly wasn’t thinking when he made this decision. Obviously, to avoid a PR nightmare and prejudiced views of anyone associated with SPIT/Tempura/Cealt, these people should not have been hired.
This is not related to their ability but it directly impacts their credibility.
Hmmm…
You mean to tell me that out of all the professional Investigative Teams found in the United Kingdom, the Police Commissioner could not have found other new officers instead of these two?
It just shows you (if you connect the dots) that the Commissioner of Police is in with them! It must be a money thing or colonial where the British must keep most of its power over the people of the Cayman Islands – again for money reasons.
Interestingly, this Anti-CORRUPTION Team is formulated at the same time that the Auditor General’s financial report paints this Government’s accountability and transparency in a negative light.
Could British Rule over the Caymanian elect be unavoidable if that’s there purpose???
I am glad that the Commissioner has had the confidence to appoint the best people to help the Cayman Islands despite the ill-judged wailings of the usual rabble-rousers.
“Moreover, the MLA said he had already received countless representations from local officers who were seriously demoralised and would now be scared of their own shadow given the situation.”
Sounds like the “Police Police” are already doing their job. Hopefully they’ve learned a few lessons from the past.
Maybe the Commissioner has seen the report from Mr. Oliver and sees he is on the right track to weeding out the corruption in the force. If these officers aren’t guilty of anything they shouldn’t be afraid of "their own shadow"
I actually tend to agree. I can’t really comment on the professionalism of the two recruited, but if they were involved in Op Tempura or Celt, then I get the impression the public won’t be very welcoming towards them and there will be a resultant fallout of negative public perception again towards the police, when it actually had started to appear that Baines had started to turn things around. In the circumstances it would seem a regressive move that will prove unpopular with the people in my view. And I agree, there are plenty of other suitably qualified (and diligent) ex-police officers in the UK who could have assisted instead.
The premier noted that the elected arm of government could not interfere with police recruitment. “We were not involved,” he said. “The commissioner of police is the person in charge of this. We have no say in the matter of who he hires.”
Here’s the buck now keep passing it…
But it is within the ambit of the Governor who really should get involved on this one…
I am concerned to say that these people are not going to get the public assistance in solving crimes. Sad, because that is very important to the police. Bad move Commissioner, I believe you will live to regret this.
Isabella, I agree with you 100%
Just admit FCO –
You just want to take us over like the Turks & Caicos Islands so you can get your hands on our Budget in the name of "good governance" and of course, the Queen!
Good god why would anyone want to take over the Cayman budget. Thatsone of the worst black holes imaginable.
Years of corruption, greed, incompetence and an insistence on employing shamefully incompetent caymanians in senior roles has created a government budget based on nothing but fudge.
Get a grip people.
Just supposing you are correct for a minute. Could you please tell me what the FCO actually gets? What benefit is there to them of imposing direct rule on Turks & Caicos? And what detriment is there to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands?
Rather than hyperbole and ‘everyone knows’, ‘it stands to reason’, and ‘a man I met the other day told me’, please explain what benefit there is to the FCO and the British Government of assuming direct control of the Cayman Islands? I constantly hear that there is a great plan by the British Government to control us, but nobody tells me WHY they want to do that? There’s an election campaign going on in Britain, and I’d be amazed if any of their leaders even mentions the OTs. I think many people would be stunned by thenumber of people in Britain who have never even heard of the Cayman Islands, let alone know where they are.
As for Baines hiring these guys – from what I understand they have been on island doing these jobs for a long time, on a fat ‘consultants rate’, and the Commissioner has changed this to making them RCIPS officers and thus they are now accountable under our laws. I think it’s bad news when people start saying that it doesn’t matter how qualified a person is for a job, if it LOOKS bad that they get it. I’d rather have competent people with lousy PR then lousy people with lousy PR like we’ve had of late. It at least feels like progress.