Antigua Newsroom- I believe the matter would be better resolved if he would agree to be transferred into a different position,\u201d said Prime Minister Gaston Browne as he offered, what he thought to be an amicable solution to the ongoing impasse between suspended Commissioner of Police, Wendel Robinson, and the Police Service Commission (PSC).<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister indicated, however, that if Robinson, \u201ccontinues to tie up the Commission in court and to prevent the type of continuity that is required in the police force, then maybe he\u2019ll have to be retired in the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Browne said his offer for secondment would include what amounts to, \u201cthe equivalent or close to the equivalent of being commissioner in terms of status and pay.\u201d<\/p>\n
The embattled commissioner was first suspended a year and a half ago on 5 April, 2018. After winning his appeal in court one week later, he was hit with another suspension letter that same day and was awaiting hearing on the matter of the second suspension in February of 2020.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would want to encourage Mr. Robinson,\u201d said Browne, \u201cto enter into negotiations [with the Police Service Commission] to see how we could resolve this issue amicably in the interest of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
The PSC had sent Commissioner Robinson a letter dated 15 October, 2019 indicating its intent to fire him at a meeting that was to include the commissioner and his representatives this Friday 25 October, 2019. The letter signed by PSC Chairman, Kelvin John Esq., cited the reasons for termination as being that which is \u201cin the public interest,\u201d and what they describe as \u201ca very fractious relationship with the minister responsible for the police.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prime minster said that the current impasse has the police force in an unmoving \u201cstate of flux.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not fair,\u201d Browne said, \u201cto the individual [Atlee Rodney] who has been acting for about two years now\u2026 that can\u2019t be fair. I don\u2019t see that as a practical state to continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on what would have happened in the past, even if he\u2019s vindicated, I don\u2019t know that he could go back in the position of commissioner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robinson\u2019s initial suspension came after policemen under his charge accused the top cop of sexual harassment back in April of last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cClearly,\u201d Prime Minister Browne said of Robinson should he return, \u201cyou\u2019re going to have issues in terms of . . . morale within the police force.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Antigua Newsroom- I believe the matter would be better resolved if he would agree to be transferred into a different position,\u201d said Prime Minister Gaston Browne as he offered, what he thought to be an amicable solution to the ongoing impasse between suspended Commissioner of Police, Wendel Robinson, and the Police Service Commission (PSC). The<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":7255,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mainstory","category-regional-and-international-news"],"yoast_head":"\n