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A letter to the Co-ordinator of Security Services, 13th February 1999:

 

Mr Martin Law
Coordinator of Security Services
Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs & Public Safety
Government Administration Building
30 Parliament Street
Hamilton HM 12
Bermuda

13th February 1999

Dear Sir

Re: Formal complaint - Oppressive Conduct etc.

 Thank you for your letter of January 21st the content of which I note, particularly with regard to the purpose of the Authority which:

is to hear and act upon complaints made by members of the public against the conduct of Police Officers. 

I am a member of the public, I am making a complaint against the conduct of police officers.

You advise:

It is quite clear in your (my) case that the complaint is an internal one relating to events when you were an officer in the Bermuda Police Service.  Consequently your complaint is outside the scope of the Authority.

This is not entirely correct and I went to some lengths to convey this. Certainly an aspect of my complaint relates to a period when I was a serving officer. However, much relates to actions subsequent. For this reason you will note my complaint names parties who were not serving at the time I was in Bermuda.

Much of the information I have already provided relates to the conduct of police officers who have not responded to my correspondence, comments made in recent press and the words of one officer (Inspector Gibbons) some 6 years after I left the Island – that I was ‘subverted & betrayed’.

Clearly Inspector Gibbons ‘recent’ conduct is questionable. Either he has evidence of wrong-doing which was the subject of an investigation FOLLOWING my departure, when I was (as I remain) a member of the public, or he has no evidence and his words are false. If the latter then I trust this causes a similar concern.

I have written: 

My 1997 and 1998 letters to the Governor of Bermuda and the Commissioner of Police have been met with silence. The C.O.P appears willing to speak with the Bermuda press and inform them the matter is open pending new evidence however, he will not accept the new evidence; an Officer willing to speak (not that this is required to confirm FSI were not complied with).

I wish to complain about the manner in which my correspondence is dismissed.

On the one hand the COP appears willing to tell the Bermuda public, via the press, about my case, on the other he is unwilling to investigate the allegations. The Commissioner’s comments to the press are untrue.

As a member of the public, I wish my complaint against the serving police officer (the COP) investigated. The relevant extract from the press article (September 1998) read:

Police Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay said he was aware of the web page "allegedly created by an aggrieved ex-police officer, leveling charges of Police and judicial improprieties while he was in the service 10 years ago".

He added that the allegations were not new and had been made in the past.

"Nevertheless, the Bermuda Police Service does not now, or ever, view such allegations and threats lightly ... and consequently advice is being sought from the Attorney General."

The Commissioner's statement goes on to say that a full investigation was launched at the time of the initial complaint and the enquiry remained open, subject to new information coming to light.

"It should also be noted that the aggrieved officer declined during the investigation to provide any substantial evidence to validate his claims of impropriety and misconduct".

The enquiry is CLOSED. The officer (I) have never declined to provide substantial evidence to validate his claims of impropriety and misconduct.

I have submitted new evidence; that of Inspector Gibbons – what more damning evidence of dishonesty, subversion and betrayal could one ask for than a serving (senior) officer in the force prepared to admit this; new information has come to light – kindly supplied by Inspector Gibbons.

I have tried, on several (documented) occasions to have the matter opened. I have written to both the Commissioner of Police and the Deputy Governor’s Office. The response I receive is silence.

Why? Because this enquiry is very much closed, no one wants it re-opened. As I made clear in my complaint correspondence; my complaint is very straightforward; the logic is simple and the facts clear-cut. I was the subject of oppressive conduct – a clear breach of the discipline code by the most senior of Officers within the police, a former Commissioner. This action was supported by the Governor’s Office who clearly conspired with the COP to ensure my demise.

It is evident this close liaison continues; it cannot be coincidence that neither the COP or the Governor’s Office both fail to reply to correspondence on two occasions!

I am calling the serving Commissioner of Police a liar. I see no reason to be euphemistic about the situation. I am being treated by all with absolute contempt and the COP’s comments in the press are untrue.

I wish to know why the COP would misrepresent the situation and why, he is not true to his word; the COP is not acting on the new information coming to light.

It appears I have been misled about the role of your Office and your sphere of activity. However, it is apparent, from your recent correspondence, that you are empowered to investigate complaints made by members of the public against the conduct of police officers.

I ask that you consider my previous complaint ‘package’ simply in terms of the post-dismissal period (when I became a ‘member of the public’) and investigate those issues which arise after my term in the employ of the Bermuda police.

I would appreciate you acknowledging receipt of this correspondence and confirming the content will be the subject of an investigation.

Yours sincerely

  

Philip Swift

Former P.C. 217 (Bermuda)

 

 

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