PSC silent on sex scandal

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The chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) has chosen to remain mum; the attorney general has put the ball in the commission’s court; and the prime minister said he has not instructed the PSC not to probe sexual harassment complaints against a senior male cop by several of his male subordinates.
OBSERVER media went to Kelvin John’s office in the city yesterday morning, and he refused to confirm or deny anything regarding the matter which was brought to the fore by way of four letters of complaint from three junior cops and a male applicant to the police force.
The letters, which were hand delivered by sources close to the matter, detail the occasions in which the senior officer allegedly made the sexual advances to his colleagues between early 2016 and early 2018, at different stations and places.
And, in one letter, one officer accuses the senior policeman of asking him for sex and offering to pay him $500 to put “pressure” on him. And, when rejected, the senior lawman increased the offer to $1,000 for sex and to spend time together after work.
But yesterday, John refused to entertain discussion on the matter, saying that the PSC is acting in a “quasi-judicial role” with regard to the allegations.
He declined to state whether the commission met with the prime minister and whether the prime minister instructed the PSC that it could not proceed with a probe because there was no formal complaint by the affected male cops before the police.
While, John has refused to speak, the Prime Minister has denied information from an OBSERVER media source that he told the Commission not to investigate.
The source told our newsroom on Tuesday, that the country’s leader met with the PSC on Monday, not long after his colleague, Attorney General Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin had a meeting with the body. And, that was also after the PSC chairman had reportedly called an emergency meeting with his members the same day. Browne told OBSERVER media on Tuesday that he would make no comment unless the source’s identity was revealed.
The source had only spoken on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal for exposing the matter. Last week, both Browne and Benjamin, who is also the Minister of Public Safety, confirmed they had knowledge of one report – not four – against the senior officer.
Browne had said he was not going to make any statement regarding the veracity of the allegation but downplayed it as something anyone can claim. Yesterday, he said when he met with the PSC on Monday the body “apprised me of the allegations against the senior member of the Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force [sic] but it was instructive that whereas you reported they had four such complaints, they said to me they had not received a single complaint.
More in today’s Daily Observer

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