The full statement is published below:
The police raid on the offices of the Newsday and home of one of its senior reporters is viewed with grave concern by the government.
It can only be assumed that the procedures conducted by the law officers and the instructions provided by their superiors were given careful consideration with regard to the legal implications surrounding such extreme action.
The government had no prior knowledge of the action taken by the police and calls upon the Commissioner of Police to provide an immediate explanation to the media and the public.
The execution of a search warrant on a media house by police officers is an extreme act. As such, it must be proportionate to the nature of the offence under investigation and the circumstances of alleged crime.
It can only be assumed that the procedures conducted by the law officers and the instructions provided by their superiors were given careful consideration with regard to the legal implications surrounding such extreme action.
The government had no prior knowledge of the action taken by the police and calls upon the Commissioner of Police to provide an immediate explanation to the media and the public.
The execution of a search warrant on a media house by police officers is an extreme act. As such, it must be proportionate to the nature of the offence under investigation and the circumstances of alleged crime.
The government does not know what prompted such strong action but expects a mature, disciplined, professional and responsible use of force by the police in the execution of their duties.
The government reaffirms its deep commitment to the protection and preservation of the independence and freedom of the media. The rights and freedoms of every journalist and media house will be strenuously defended. We believe in the open access of information to journalists rather than obstruction of the process.
Our constitution enshrines the right to a free press as a fundamental human right and the government believes this is vital to our democracy. It is the media’s job to scrutinize and monitor the government. Such scrutiny encourages transparency and militates against the negative vices that afflict governance.
The sanctity of the relationship between the reporter and his/her source is one which must be respected. It is similar to the relationship which exists at confession between a priest and his confessor. It is privileged and sacred. Police intervention can only be justified in extreme situations.
The government believes in and respects the reporter's right to protect the source of his/her information unless it would not be in the public interest to do so. We are not aware of the precise nature of the offence that is the subject matter of this particular police investigation and hence make no further pronouncement on the facts of this case.
The government reaffirms its deep commitment to the protection and preservation of the independence and freedom of the media. The rights and freedoms of every journalist and media house will be strenuously defended. We believe in the open access of information to journalists rather than obstruction of the process.
Our constitution enshrines the right to a free press as a fundamental human right and the government believes this is vital to our democracy. It is the media’s job to scrutinize and monitor the government. Such scrutiny encourages transparency and militates against the negative vices that afflict governance.
The sanctity of the relationship between the reporter and his/her source is one which must be respected. It is similar to the relationship which exists at confession between a priest and his confessor. It is privileged and sacred. Police intervention can only be justified in extreme situations.
The government believes in and respects the reporter's right to protect the source of his/her information unless it would not be in the public interest to do so. We are not aware of the precise nature of the offence that is the subject matter of this particular police investigation and hence make no further pronouncement on the facts of this case.
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