Justice for all police officers in 2003 sacking.
It is never too late
Two recent high-level appointments have much in common. Kishnan Labonté has been appointed as a magistrate, after a period of service in the Attorney- General’s Office. Maxime Tirant has been appointed as Prison Commissioner.
Both of the posts are important and a great responsibility entrusted to the appointees. Both appointees were in a group of nine senior police officers who were sacked in December 2003, without any acceptable reason being given. It was a harsh blow for a police force that was already facing a serious shortage of human resources.
The official reason stopped just short of calling these officers incompetent. It was said the posts were unnecessary and the removal of the officers was for the sake of reform. To treat these officers, some with solid qualifications and all with years of experience, as useless and disposable was a gross injustice and a foolish decision.
The fact that two of these police officers have been appointed to new posts show that their competence has been recognized. This in some way corrects the injustice that was done to them.
But there are seven others. First of all, all these officers need to be told the truth, and if there was no valid reason for them to be fired, they should get an apology. Second, some of them are still able to serve their country and are needed. Their cases should be reviewed honestly. The Supreme Court has already established that the termination of their appointments was not correct in law.
The officers involved
were:
Assistant
Commissioners Tite Morin
and Kishnan Labonté,
Superintendents Robert Bibi,
Michel Vital and Roger
Legras,
Assistant
Supeintendents Clive
Elizabeth, Jack Valentin,
Maxime Tirant and Daniel
Dogley.
Another senior officer,
James Savy, and two special
constables, Raymond Wong
and André Vital, were also dismissed
at the same time.
President Michel must take the responsibility for this. Although the officers were sacked when Albert René was still President, it was only three months before he passed on power to Michel. He certainly knew about it and was part of the decision. In fact, it looks like it was done specifically to suit him.
The country cannot afford to do without the services of capable men and women. And it is never too late to correct an injustice.
Source: Regar 2-5-10