Police deny harassment
(CNS): As the issue of leaked documents begins to take centre stage and following threats by the premier that they will be investigated, the police have denied harassing anyone during such investigations. Last week MLA Ezzard Miller revealed that he had been interviewed by police about where he got a copy of the Dart-NRA agreement regarding the Esterely Tibbetts Highway, which he had described as harassment. The police have rejected the allegations, stating that they have a duty to pursue all complaints that allege criminal conduct, However, the RCIPS has raised concerns about efforts to politicise the service.
"The RCIPS has a duty to investigate any complaint made alleging criminal conduct,” an RCIPS spokesperson said in a statement Thursday. “The initial investigation involves the interviewing of any witnesses to ascertain if a crime has been committed.”
The police said that after receiving a complaint from the NRA about the disclosure of confidential documentation, a number of people were interviewed to ascertain whether a crime had taken place. “That investigation continues. However, we resent any suggestion that any of those witnesses have been 'harassed' by the RCIPS,” the police stated.
During the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly this week, the premier raised the issue of the leak to the press of a document that outlined the terms of a possible agreement between the San Miguel Corporation and the airline it owns with Cayman Airways. McKeeva Bush described the leak as highly irresponsible and “treacherous”, as he indicated that government and the airline were going to make sure it was investigated.
While police confirmed that they were already investigating the leak of the NRA document, so far, no complaint has been received concerning the 'leaking' of documentation in connection with the possible SMC and CAL deal.
"We are deeply concerned by the comments made that that we would 'harass' any individual, if such a complaint was received. The comments made in relation to both the NRA and the CAL documents are, quite clearly, attempts to politicise the role of the RCIPS,” the spokesperson added. "We will continue to interview all witnesses, as and when necessary, to investigate allegations of criminality – no matter who those witnesses are.”
The police also encouraged anyone who felt they had legitimate grounds for complaint about the RCIPS to contact the Professional Standards Unit to allow those allegations to be fully investigated.
The recent focus on bringing in the police to investigate the leaking of documents that concern government activity and public owned companies is a worrying turn of events, the member for North Side stated, especially when in these two recent cases the documents that found their way into the public domain both involve public assets. The issue of transparency in government is one that the FCO has been emphasising in its encouragement of good-governance.
However, referring to the member for East End’s attempts to lay in the Legislative Assembly the SMC document regarding the potential sale of part of Cayman Airways to Philippines Airline, Bush said it was “downright treacherous” because of the competitive market facing Cayman Airways.
Bush said that the airline industry was the most competitive business and exposing the discussions of details before time could put CAL in jeopardy. “If CAL goes down, if it can’t find $20 or 26million to put into it …we are up the creek without a paddle,” the premier stated, regarding his plans for the government-owned company.
There had been no public discussions or consultations over the premier’s plans to enter into an MOU with the Philippines based company before he went to Manila to sign the document with the owners of Philippines Airlines Ltd (PAL). The first the public heard of it was a Tweet by the premier, which pictured him signing the MOU. Nevertheless, Bush saw nothing wrong with his behind closed doors discussions and unrevealed plans to sell as much as half of the national flag carrier.
“It is downright treacherous what they did and whoever gave him that document is treacherous but they will do anything to destroy government,” he said adding that CAL must have a partner to safeguard its future and stated that PAL could be the right partner.
There are significant concerns about the premier’s choice of partner as the Manila based airline is facing numerous difficulties expanding its US and American routes as a result of its status with the relevant aviation authorities. The airline has a category two status with the US and is blacklisted with European authorities. The deal with CAL would enable PAL to circumvent those international safety regulations.
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Category: Politics
I didn’t realise until last year that WAVING at someone who doesn’t like you is considered harassment. You can be arrested for it and charged with a criminal offence.
With the establishment of enforable human rights laws in Cayman, themodus operandi of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service HAS to change.
The police do not establish whether the law has been broken…or a crime committed…the law does that…their duty is to establish the legitimacy of any complaints made in relation to any law under which an allegation of criminality has been made…BEFORE investigating any complaints.
An unbased and unfounded investigation does amount to POLICE HARRASSMENT….no one wishes to be questioned or interviewed by police in what amounts to a 'fishing expedition'.
People lie and make false accusations on other people to the police all the time…especially in Cayman, just to get them in trouble.
Under human rights and freedom of information laws that apply in Cayman, the 'leaking' of confidential documents to the public cannot be a crime, unless those documents were obtained by some illegal means, such as burglary or industrial espionage.
The police in Cayman have always been 'politicised'…anyone who knows Cayman well enough knows that this is an open secret….they take unofficial orders from the ruling government and politicians of the the day.
What I would rather Ezzard Miller to have done is to make an official complaint to the Human Rights Commission, to set a general precedent for the public….rather than to have used the situation for his own political advantage.
Its going to take a few well-aimed human rights abuse cases to finally sort this RCIPS out, once and for all.
IMO, the sooner the better !
And yet we hear of no arrests for abuse of the gasboy system or that a top public servant who hired his own daughter to work in his department so she could get medical insurance!
Ok so who complained about the supposed leak of this document I wonder…..??
Obviousl Rzzard is a grrat thrat to the UDP's throne come 2013, that explains the harassment.
Politics is getting rally nasty.
Ezzard watch your back. I'm sure you hav a few wolves in your flock.
With all the comments re the "high number" of Caymanian RCIPS officer, perhaps they should break these down by status holders and natives -the true picture, adn the low number of locals, would surprise many!!
of course most of us bought into theri self-serving lies that Caymanians are too closely related to objectively police/judge/hire each other… Hmmm
For Ezzard there is no publicity like self publicity. A very very dangerous man for Cayman’s future.
Ezzard is very very dangerous man for those in Cayman's future that are corrupt without morals and integrity. As we all know Ezzard Miller is a man of integrity and cannot be bought so indeed he is very dangerous to those on the opposite side of law and order. You must be shaking in your boots.
It's real funny you know when I look at things I smell a rat….
Big Mac goes 18 months and is not brought in for questioning…..
Election law is broken in GT with cards being handed out and the world has copies and the world met the people BUT the police find no evidence…..
Mr. Miller gets some info on something that BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE…..and he gives it TO THE PEOPLE…..and they pull him down…..
Why is Big Mac so special RCIP???
Why did the Attorney General not pursue the matter of the BT elections when it was ADMITTED by the purportrators? How coudl he possibly say IT WAS IN THE COUNTRIES BEST INTEREST? It was not in mind or many others…..When does this even come into play when a law is broken??
Why is BIG MAC so special???
FCO I hope you are watching XXXX
I wish they would try to conclude the investigations on McKeeva and leave Ezzard alone. We should be able to FOI all of these documents as well.
Will all the money that the police have been given over the years from the Caymanian taxpayer, I now grade them. ZERO!
You are utterly incompetent, incredibly cocky, overly aggressive, insufficiently humble and grossly over-funded.
I thought you were out there to protect us, not harrass us. When will all of this change? You are the reason for the ills of society. Baines, I cannot wait to look you in the eye and when I do, you will know its me.
Who told you to destroy my country?
So if the cops are investigating Ezzard for exposing these public documents, are they also investigating Mac for hiding these very important public documents from the public?
""The RCIPS has a duty to investigate any complaint made alleging criminal conduct,”"
Then investigate the "complaint" of harassment made by Ezzard.
Hilarious! Bush ordering RCIPS to investigate leaked documents. Will it include the leaking of a letter from his ministry office demanding the second half of a payment for rezoning land? Doubt it, they seem to have difficulty reaching a conclusion about the legality/morality or otherwise of this open and shut case, let alone find time to investigate where it came from, unless you had forgotten, it appears to have come from the recipient, is that leaking?
some people deserve harassment!
Corruption is part of Cayman's culture, right from the top XXXX down to the gasboy cards. Everyone is scrambling to get something for nothing.
Efforts to put things right are sabotaged aggressively.
Sad.
Cops also deny that Tupac lives out Northside…but I’ve seen him!
When the PFML was breached and the tender process wasn't followed, why wasn't there an investigated? Surely there must be penalties for breaching the law or its regulations. Relative to the NRA Dart agreement, that should have been publicised anyway. No need to waste time investigating that, but seems like poor Mac can't stand being the only one with an ongoing investigation so he's got to cast a net.
If government has to hide what it is doing from it's citizens, then something has to be wrong. And on the CAL SMC deal, the only thing I see "treacherous" in that is the mere fact that Mac would entertain such an offer without informing the people of this country! Good God man, don't you stop and think things through? Don't you see that CAL's reputation and that of the Cayman island's could be damaged? If SMC got $26 million to spare, tell them spend it on getting their own act right to achieve a cat 1 status. Don't flush CAL down the drain with them. It's a doggone thing someone had the nerve to expose it. For 26 million, why didn't you offer to send a team from CAL and Civil Aviation to advise them on what they need to do to gain Cat 1 status?
The bunch of you need to take a vacation until May next year. Everyday I wake up I get more nervous wondering what disaster this government will explore as its next "secret" option.
Is it a problem that these truthful and accurate documents are being leaked?
Or is the real crime the fact that the govt is using the police force against the people to protect their own interests?
This place is beginning to feel like CUBA. Unbelievable that the RCIPS would waste time investigating the leaking of a document that ought to have been in the public domain from the beginning.
MR Miller is absolutely wrong RCIPS doesnt harrass now using unwarranted intimidation is more their style!
What a laughing stock our country has become. Every single politician should be ashamed of themselves in the way they have dragged our country matters through the mud, no matter what the issue is. How embarrassing we have become in the eyes of the world…..
This is what Mac is good at.. getting the police to invetigate S##t matters instead of looking at him more closely.
I really hope the police are putting this much effort into the investgations involving our premier.
Short answer. NO. They want yo waste their time doing everything else BUT their jobs. Lets see….they look at needs of traffic cops and now HARASSING our independent candidates but not the Premier.
Shaggy. Police. Bathroom Floor.
"It wasn't Me"
Shaggy. Ezzard, Bathroom Floor
"It wasn't Me"
Shaggy. McKeeva. Bathroom Floor.
"It wasn't Me"
Choose one or all three if you like.
I love this comment, "The police also encouraged anyone who felt they had legitimate grounds for complaint about the RCIPS to contact the Professional Standards Unit to allow those allegations to be fully investigated."
I tried it once. RCIPS sat on the complaint for months and when I pushed it theyjust emailed saying there was nothing they could investigate.
In comparison the PSD (that's the UK equivalent of RCIPS PSU) of one UK force I'm currently dealing with is keeping in regular contact by phone and email. I actually have a dedicated case office who I'm on first name terms with.
Is RCIPS motto really 'We care, we listen and we act'?
No, no, no, John…the motto is REALLY, "We act like we care, when we bother to listen…."
These documents being “leaked” are all not of a National Security nature, in fact they are ALL documents which seek to bind the people of this country to deals which affect ALL of the people of the country, and should face National discussion prior to the commitments being made, it seems that the investigation should actually be into the parties or persons who seem to be putting these deals together without input from the public.
It is interesting to say the least , that the Premier should fly off to the Phillipines to sign an MOU with PAL and not discuss or have the publics opinion on such an important issue. He believes, he is Premier and he can do what he wants. Well, I hope the West Bayers/Caymanians have understood his modus operandi and make sure he is kicked out by 2013 or right now.
How can a country progress with the most stupid leading the pack? The folowers are worse than he is. Change is what we need, they are leading us down the wrong path.
What the Police should investigate are the allegations against the Premier and stop harrasing Ezzard for letting the Public know the dirty deals that are being signed in secret against the populace.
knocking on my door…
Cops: It wasn't me
texting on mi phone…
Cops: It wasn't me
checking mi wife
Cops: It wasn't me
open my front door…
Cops: It wasn't me
the list goes on…
Time to poligraph dem officers
Ezzard is hot air. I wonder if he knows what harrassment is? At least Alden don't complain, he'll cry like a boy, but he won't complain and call it harassment.. probably murder, but not harassment!
Hypocrites, we see through it all.
Why not conclude the investigations against the premier?
Waste of our valuable resources under the disguise of a valid police investigation.
Keep talking, maybe the RCIP can believe their own lies.
Perhaps Ezzard believes that he is above the law and special.
He'll be a fine successor to McKeeva then.
They all have deleusions of adequacy.
They all have deleusions of adequacy??????? maybe you will be the fine successor to McKeeva, I can only guess that both of you went to the same school and copied the same papers.
Adequacy..?? Its lunacy thats the problem!
Ezzard special yes, above the law no, a hero in some of our eyes hell yes! Do I care what you think? hold your breath and see….