out at delayed police

Ombudsman hits out at delayed police investigations

By Sophie Foster Hildebrand

THE Vanuatu Ombudsman’s Office has called for discipli nary action to be taken against senior members of the country’s police force.

After an inquiry into delays in police investigations, Vanuatu Ombudsman, Marie-Noalle Ferrieux Patterson, lev elled heavy criticism against former Commissioner of Police Mr Luc Siba and current Commissioner of Police Mr Peter Bong.

The Ombudsman recommended that Mr Siba not be appointed to any leader ship post again in the Public Service. She also called on the Police Service Commission to investigate and take any disciplinary proceedings warranted against Mr Peter Bong for failing to properly supervise the Police Force.

Ms Patterson’s report said the system of administration and investigation had to be reviewed to minimise undue delays and general inefficiency within the force.

The Ombudsman also heavily criti cised the former Officer-in-Charge of Criminal Investigation Department (OIC CID) Chief Inspector George Namaka, former Deputy OIC CID Mr Andrew Bambara, the OIC CID Superintendent Vake Rakau. Inspector George Twomey, Sergeant Jean Yve Kali, Corporal Jean Paul Toure and Corporal Judah Silas, who were investigating officers on long delayed cases, were also criticised.

The Ombudsman recommended that the Police Service Commission “investi gate and take any disciplinary proceed ings warranted” against both Mr George Namaka and Mr Vake Rakau for failing to properly supervise CID. Ms Patterson went further to state that Mr Rakau be removed from his post as OIC CID to

another post in the Police Post. She also recommended that the Police Service Commission investigate and take any disciplinary proceedings warranted against Mr Andrew Bambara for failing to investigate Kalmet’s 1989 case. Ms Patterson said, except for Mr Judah Silas, none of those police officers answered any of the complaints during the enquiry.

“These delayed police investigations were carried out by the police on major misappropriation of public funds and one assault case involving government lead ers. The total of funds involved was VT$ 14,383,035,” she said.

The police took between six months and seven years to complete only some of their investigations but the Ombudsman discovered that standard procedures for recording, investigation and supervision of complaints and laws had not been enforced.

“Messrs Luc Siba and Peter Bong, failed to properly enforce the legal oblig ation of the police which was to prevent and detect crime and bring offenders before the court. They did not properly supervise the Police Force by allowing these investigations to be delayed,” the report said. “Mr George Namaka, as for mer OIC CID, Mr Andrew Bambara as former Deputy OIC CID, and Mr Vake Rakau as the OIC CID, failed their duty to properly supervise the CID on these investigations, to comply with the Police Act and Force Standing Orders. Messrs Twomey, Kali, Silas and Toure, as inves tigators, also failed to comply with the Police Act”.

The Ombudsman’s Office report said, “consequently, these complaints have not been prosecuted with the result that alleged offenders have not been brought to justice and misappropriated funds have not yet been recovered”. ■