A decision by Police Commissioner Gary Griffith to appoint foreign officers to the Drugs Sou Sou (DSS) investigation, is now coming back to haunt him, as four local cops are now challenging his move in court.
The four police officers, who were suspended as part of an investigation into the return of more than $22 million in cash seized from DSS last year, were granted leave on Monday by Justice Nadia Kangaloo, to pursue their judicial review claim against the commissioner.
The officers – an inspector, a sergeant, and two police constables – claim the appointment of the two police officers from Barbados was illegal, since the Special Reserve Police Act did not give the commissioner the power to appoint anyone as SRP’s to do a criminal investigation.
The officers say the commissioner acted irrationally and surrendered his independent statutory discretion to either the Minister of National Security or the Prime Minister in making the appointments.
They want the court to declare the appointments unlawful.
The four officers maintained their innocence in the overall probe and have stated in their application that they have fulfilled their professional duties to the best of their ability and in accordance with the law.
COMMENTS