Political parties spar over "spying" incident

By Rawle Titus

ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada, CMC – It's the stuff movies are made of.

A group of politicians huddle around a table plotting strategies to form the next government when one of them spots a red flashing light emanating from a nearby abandoned building.

The politicians run towards the building and grab a man, confiscating his electronic devices including a tape recorder. After manhandling the man, they attempted to make a "citizen's arrest”. However, it was later revealed that the man was a plain clothes police officer on duty.

The situation has sparked the latest quarrel between the ruling New National Party (NNP) of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of Opposition Leader Tillman Thomas as Grenada gears for a general election, which is widely expected this year.

National Security Minister Einstein Louison says the law enforcement authorities are carrying out investigations into a matter "that could be of a criminal nature where a police officer was held against his will and he has a medical report to support certain harm that was done to him.

"I know that the Commissioner of Police and the CID are investigating this matter. Police, when they are doing their duties should be allowed to do their duties," he added.

But Thomas insisted that the act by the police officer "is an unpardonable violation of the constitutional rights of the citizens of Grenada, particularly her majesty's opposition.

"There is no legal basis for this (the recording). Absolutely not," Thomas said as his party has laid blame at the feet of Prime Minister Mitchell.

The Prime Minister is likely to address the nation as soon as the official police report is handed to him and in the meantime, his party, in power for the past 13 years, has scoffed at the NDC charge.

"The NNP has nothing whatsoever to do with the action of the police. The police are an independent organ of the State and they act independently. The New National Party has nothing whatsoever to do with the actions of the police," said the party's public relations officer, Terrence Forester.

"We must therefore allow the Commissioner (of Police) to investigate the matter and to inform whosoever he needs to inform as to why such actions were necessary".

"The complainant was taken to the General Hospital for medical attention and thereafter gave a statement to a member of the Criminal Investigation Department.

"There is a correct and established manner in which we are expected to handle disputes in any civilized society, and the Royal Grenada Police Force would not stand by and allow persons to take the law into their own hands," he said.

The NDC has admitted manhandling the officer but has also strongly denied charges that it was guilty of assault.

"Under our laws you can have citizen’s arrest so we accosted him and we held him" said NDC Deputy Chairman Feron Lowe.

"We had all right as citizens of this country to hold him and we did not batter him, we did not hit him or anything" Lowe told reporters.

Last weekend, angry crowds swelled outside the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the capital as police questioned Opposition Senator Arley Gill.

"They want to provoke uprising in the country,'' said Dr. Francis Alexis, a constitutional lawyer assisting Gill, as he emerged from the CID building.

"Do not disturb the order. That is exactly what they are trying to do – to provoke trouble in the country," said Alexis, a former attorney general.

The issue involving the police officer and his activities are also dominating radio and television talk shows with the popular calypso tune "Every body peeping" dominating the airwaves.

Critics of the local police have likened the situation to that of the 1970's when the Mongoose gang, an extra judicial group of enforcers created by then Prime Minister Sir Eric Gairy was used to rough up political opponents.

"Anything can happen to our privacy now. Your phones can be tapped your emails can be interfered with. The sky is the limit," said former attorney general Lloyd Noel.

"I can't say I am too, too surprised because I think the powers that be are becoming desperate and with such desperation at hand anything can happen," said Noel, who writes a weekly newspaper column.

The Grenada Today newspaper, a harsh critic of Prime Minister Mitchell has called for the Police Commissioner to step down.

"Our strong belief is that the present COP did not sanction that operation by the Special Branch of the Force and it was the work of certain elements in the RGPF that are loyal to NNP" the paper said in an editorial titled, COP James please go.

"Our advice to Mr. James is to do the decent thing in order to maintain his integrity and to save face by resigning as commander of the Police Force ".

CMC/rt/pr/db/08