Gibbs emailed a two-page letter addressed to the Editor in which he stated that the raid led by the head of the Anti Corruption Investigation Bureau (ACIB), Snr Supt Solomon Koon Koon, was done according to law.
“The officers of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau are Peace Officers. They have a responsibility to uphold the law and conduct their investigations in accordance with that law.
“They have a responsibility to uphold the law and conduct their investigations in accordance with that law. Peace officers are not sanctioned to go above or beyond the legal authorities vested in our Constitution or in statute; just as they are not justified to ignore their fiduciary duties or accountabilities," the commissioner said.
He added, “It should be noted that when illegal or tragic occurrences or incidents happen, peace officers are called to investigate and to use all of their training, competencies and equipment to ensure there is homeostasis brought back into an environment disrupted by violence or disorder."
Gibbs said police conduct investigations not to "inhibit, restrict and abuse the freedoms that are fundamentally embedded in our society, but rather to ensure the freedoms that we so often take for granted are maintained and held to the highest standards".
He added that no one in society would want individual or collective freedoms—such as freedoms of life, liberty, association, religion, speech or expression—to be taken away.
“However, we do know there are those individuals and groups who constantly attempt through illegal, unethical and nefarious means to destroy the very underpinnings and basic tenets of our society.
“However, we do know there are those individuals and groups who constantly attempt through illegal, unethical and nefarious means to destroy the very underpinnings and basic tenets of our society.
“In simple terms these are the bullies, the manipulators and intimidators. They purposefully initiate violence and malfeasance and contrive to attain only for their own self-interest and benefit, usually at the expense of others and society. They don’t respect our nation’s freedoms nor do their actions demonstrate respect and concern for others,” Gibbs said.
In a related development, Newsday reported Monday that Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Fitzroy Fredericks has said that no one, including the media, is above the law and that the raid on Newsday's newsroom was done within the ambit of the law.
The newspaper said Fredericks made the comment in his capacity as President-designate of the Police Service First Division. It said Fredericks also called on Government and to scrap the Integrity in Public Life Act.
“I have listened to all of the cries of condemnation on this so-called raid on media houses by the police and I want to state, and quote me correctly here, that no media house is exempt from police action once the police deems such action necessary and valid in the course of an investigation.
“Just as freedom of the press is enshrined in the Constitution, the police have a Constitutional role to investigate and gather evidence where necessary. Rather than make statements against the police, the Government if they feel the Integrity in Public Life Act ought not to be law, should remove it from the law books!” Fredericks said.
“In the past we have been accused of not investigating. So like Mr Koon Koon said it’s a situation of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ and I want to say that I fully support what he said,” Fredericks said.
In a related development, Newsday reported Monday that Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Fitzroy Fredericks has said that no one, including the media, is above the law and that the raid on Newsday's newsroom was done within the ambit of the law.
The newspaper said Fredericks made the comment in his capacity as President-designate of the Police Service First Division. It said Fredericks also called on Government and to scrap the Integrity in Public Life Act.
“I have listened to all of the cries of condemnation on this so-called raid on media houses by the police and I want to state, and quote me correctly here, that no media house is exempt from police action once the police deems such action necessary and valid in the course of an investigation.
“Just as freedom of the press is enshrined in the Constitution, the police have a Constitutional role to investigate and gather evidence where necessary. Rather than make statements against the police, the Government if they feel the Integrity in Public Life Act ought not to be law, should remove it from the law books!” Fredericks said.
“In the past we have been accused of not investigating. So like Mr Koon Koon said it’s a situation of ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ and I want to say that I fully support what he said,” Fredericks said.
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