7 News Belize

COMPOL In Court Against Police Assoc. President
posted (May 6, 2019)
10 days ago, we told you how the Caribbean Federation of Police Welfare Associations criticized Commissioner Chester Williams for a dictatorial style of conflict engagement, demonstrated in his handling of Corporal Eldon Arzu, the embattled president of the Belize Police Association.

From the Commissioner's perspective, he's looking after the rank and file police officers who pay dues to the Belize Police Association. There has been a pending request from the Office of the Commissioner, before Williams was appointed, for Arzu to present an audit of the finances of the Association.

And while the Commissioner doesn't think that the President has been acting in the best interest of the association and its members, Arzu has filed a lawsuit challenging a statutory instrument Williams signed earlier this year. As we told you, it limits the number of terms that any officer can serve as association president to only 2. Arzu was elected to his 6th.

His challenge to Commissioner Williams' SI went before Justice Shona Griffith for a first hearing this morning. The court room was filled to capacity with high-ranking police officers, and after the hearing, Williams took a few questions from the press about the proceedings. Here's what he had to say:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"This morning in Justice Griffith court, the matter of Eldon Arzu and the Commissioner of Police convened for the judge to be able to decide whether or not there is grounds for judicial review and the counsel for the applicant had also filed applications for injunctions. One: he sought an injunction against the commissioner from transferring him and two; he also sought a mandatory injunction for the court to order that the commissioner pays him his salary. As you would know that his salary has been stopped due to the fact that he had failed to report for work. The judge heard arguments from both sides and at the conclusion of that the judge made an order that there is an issue to be tried and so leave was granted for judicial review and that matter is expected to commence on July 22nd and 23rd of this year. In respect to the applications filed by the applicant for the injunctions, the court rejected those applications and said to the applicant that the applicant must report for work. She also pointed out to them that while the police department is a public service entity, the standard of discipline in the police department or the military is different than the ordinary public service and so once a lawful command is given, then officers or members are expected to comply with the lawful instructions. And if it is their they believe that the instructions are not in their best interest then they can comply and then take the aggrieved matter before the court for the court to be able to determine whether or not there was reasonableness in the actions of, in this case, the commissioner. And so the judge told him that he needs to report to work. So we are anticipating that Mr. Arzu is going to report to duty tomorrow or maybe today, considering the fact that he has been absent for over a month. Once he reports to duty then his salary will be activated."

There is currently no intention of paying Arzu for the month which he has not been working. It may become an issue to be resolved as part of the case. Williams asserts that he did not transfer Arzu out of malice. He said that he was placing Arzu in a department where the top brass would make policies that affects the welfare of the rank and file.

When the case goes back to court later this month, we'll update you.

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