And while the Minister said he's powerless to intervene in such a situation - we wondered is he powerful enough to compel the COMPOL to do anything?
For some time we have been hearing that the longest serving Compol in more than a century doesn't see himself as answerable directly to the Minister - but as answerable to the PM - who is the only person that can remove or replace him.
Today, the Minister conceded, he's nobody's boss:
Jules Vasquez:
"Is it clear who the Commissioner of Police answers to? I get the impression that he feels he only answers to the Prime Minister, who appoints him and that he doesn't really answer to the minister and certainly not to the CEO."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I don't like how that question is framed. First of all, because the Commissioner of Police is an autonomous seat similar to the DPP. Yes, we do, craft policies...."
Jules Vasquez:
"He's not appointed by the Governor General though. The DPP is appointed by the Governor General."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"Yes, but my point is that you make it seem as though whenever the commissioner speaks or whenever he makes a decision, he has to call myself or the Prime Minister, which he does not. And so you have to remove that blurred line because there has to be a clear line, and not politicize the role of the commissioner of Police, which I think that is what you're trying to do. But at the end of the day, we work well, both myself and the commissioner and the prime minister and the commissioner. And so to say he's answerable to any of us, I think that's poorly phrased."
Jules Vasquez:
"It's the prime Minister who giveth and take away the appointment of the Commissioner of Police. So ultimately, you answer to the person can take away your job."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"Now if you're saying who appoints, that's a different question you're asking all together now. So yes, that will be the prime minister that appoints the Commissioner of police."
Jules Vasquez:
"But do you feel, let's not speak about this, Prime Minister, this, commissioner and prime Minister, because we know they're both exemplars of good conduct. But in the future, we could have a situation where we have a commissioner who feels that his loyalty is to the prime minister and not to the minister, and they may be working at counter purposes, perhaps we saw during the John Saldivar and Dean Barrow Days."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I still don't know where you're going with this line of questioning. Jules, I think you're trying to create some sort of friction either within the pup or within the police department."
Jules Vasquez:
"He doesn't think you're his boss. You cannot give the commissioner directives."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I'm nobody's boss, I'm the Minister of Home Affairs. But I'm not anybody's boss. This is the Commissioner of Police. He makes decisions. And yes, he implements policies."
Jules Vasquez:
"He's just a glorified head of department."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"ComPol, you'll get a chance to answer this man, because clearly, I don't know where he's going with this."
Jules Vasquez:
"But isn't he? Structurally, really, a head of department."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"You have to ask him because I think you want to ask him if he answers to the Prime Minister. I think that's what you want to ask."
Jules Vasquez:
"You told me, he doesn't answer to you."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I'm saying I'm not his boss, per se."
Jules Vasquez:
"Is the Prime Minister his boss?"
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"None of us are his boss. This is the Commissioner of police."
Jules Vasquez:
"So he has no boss then?"
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I don't know where you're going with this."