The admittance by current Acting Commissioner of Police Don McKenzie that he has not seen any report after nearly a year from the so-called 3-member Committee set up by his predecessor Edvin Martin to investigate into alleged sexual molestation of female officers by “The Men in Khaki” confirms that it was nothing but a sham from the beginning.
THE NEW TODAY is hearing from many credible sources within the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) that this committee, headed by the now retired Superintendent of Police Nola Lewis never met, much less conducted any investigation to come up with findings and the presentation of a report.
As one senior retired cop pointed out this committee would have had to interact with members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to carry out the alleged sexual molestation probe of female officers that was taking place.
The view is held in many quarters especially within the Police Force that any serious investigation will implicate some of the most senior members of the Police High Command in this dirty and nasty practice of using their power and influence to prey on the vulnerable young female members of the force.
Commissioner McKenzie cannot hide behind the fact that Supt Lewis has since retired from RGPF due to age and as such he has not seen or heard anything about a report being prepared by her committee.
As the island’s chief cop, he has the power and authority to invite her into his office to brief him on the work of the so-called committee.
It is quite understandable that given the manner in which the outgoing Commissioner had to retire on grounds of ill-health that there was not sufficient time to get a briefing from him on all aspects of RGPF including the work of the committee.
As a senior member of RGPF who was working on the St George’s Port at the time of these sexual molestation allegations, McKenzie must have heard about the reports as they were out in the public domain and quite damaging to the reputation and image especially of the Men in Uniform.
Over the years, there seems to be in operation in this small country of ours – two different sets of laws – one for the Police and another for the civilian population.
RGPF has a nasty reputation of covering up wrongdoing among senior police officers including serious crimes like Sexual Offences.
THE NEW TODAY has been told by a senior member of the Police Force of an incident in which a female Grenadian living in the Diaspora made a call to Headquarters and complained that a person who once occupied the seat of Commissioner of Police had raped her.
The information was allowed to pass under the table as unseen and unheard as no one had “the balls” to probe the individual to give an account of what might have happened.
It is also well-documented that a report of sexual molestation involving three senior police officers – two of them with ties to the then ruling New National Party (NNP) – was presented to Commissioner James and all the culprits walked away free.
One of the reports in James hand gave a graphic account of the rape committed by a Superintendent of Police on a young female at a police house in the St John’s area.
Another sham investigation took place as a Junior Superintendent of Police was appointed to investigate the allegations when it is known that he had no power to question any of the three suspects.
What is even more frightening is that one of the trio was later given rapid promotion to sit on the 5-member Police High Command under NNP.
One of the senior officers whose name was often called in sexual molestation in the Gouyave area before his retirement from RGPF was actually captured on video which went viral in a compromising position by engaging in masturbation.
Commissioner McKenzie would be held responsible if the ugliness raises its head within RGPF in the near future as he was given an opportunity to deal with the issue but he is apparently reluctant to do so.
THE NEW TODAY has been hearing reports of the behaviour of one or two within the present High Command but nothing of “concrete substance” to back up these allegations.
The Prime Minister has also signaled that he did not appoint the RGPF Sexual Molestation Committee and is not authorised to ask for a report on the findings.
Our reporting on these matters have brought us into contact with several female officers in the force who after some engagements felt free enough to “tell all” about those “Men in Khaki” who prey on them and seek to take advantage of their vulnerabilities.
The frequent punishment seems to be to give them the “graveyard shift” which starts at midnight in order to get them to break and yield to their sexual advances.
Mr. Commissioner, anytime you see this happening at the level of the station, please put up the antennae higher and higher.