Last night we told you how the activist group COLA had gotten all hot and bothered about a trove of documents, which it claimed, proved political interference in police work. The single document COLA presented to the media today is a letter from the President of the Belize Police Association Corporal Eldon Arzu to Ombudsman Lionel Arzu in September of 2013. It complains about political and administrative interference in police work dating back to 2012 and cites four cases in which police officers were allegedly punished for their involvement in police matters which became politicized.
At a press briefing dramatically staged outside the Queen Street police station this afternoon, COLA says the letter speaks to a systemic problem in the culture of governance and policing:...
Geovannie Brackett - President, COLA
"We have to wonder why the Ombudsman never granted us in favor of requesting the evidence from the Commissioner of Police, because he has written and several situations was brought in front of his desk, yet he has not responded."
Nedal "Jihad" McLaren
"What the police department is trying to get and what these officers are trying to get is that they do not want that police officers continue to be victimized because of doing their job."
Geovannie Brackett - President, COLA
"These are serious allegations of interference in what appear to be human trafficking. These are serous interference from political directorates, political ministers time and time again. If you would look at this document and this needs to be address formally."
We could not confirm if the ombudsman has seen the letter.
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