Massiah: Time to clean the force

Leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), Joanne Massiah made a public declaration that the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda “needs to be cleaned up,” after news broke about one of its senior officers being investigated in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a possible fraudulent passport racket.
“Where there is smoke there is fire, and only time will tell.  There is no secret of corruption within the force and I am hoping that more information will come out on the matter,” Massiah said on OBSERVER AM yesterday.
She expressed disappointment in the matter and the implications that could follow if nothing is done about the allegation.
“Antigua has once again gotten a black eye. This is an embarrassment, and once again demonstrates how vulnerable our systems are…. If we do not address these issues, then the island could well become the Mexico of the Caribbean.”
The former United Progressive Party (UPP) executive member said that a number of personnel in the local police force are to be blamed for the ongoing allegations of corruption, stating that the force is too “politicised” as many officers are putting their personal agenda ahead of the job in their quest for more power.
During her brief contribution to the programme, Massiah called on police officers, who have knowledge on the matter, to step forward and assist in the cleaning up of the force.
“It is time for the force to be cleaned out so that those officers who are upstanding members can carry out their work with distinction,” the former member of parliament said.