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| NEWS > 15 November 2005 |
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Investigation into police misc
As Parliament began an investigation into the conduct of the Uganda Police last week, some MPs want government to explain why many senior police officers are deserting the force.
The Inspector-General of Police, Major General Kale Kayihura, will also be questioned on the widespread perception that there is regional imbalance in the recruitment and deployment of semi-trained personnel and the militarisation of what should be a civil force. A select committee of Parliament, the first of its kind under Kayihura, who was appointed in 2005, has 40 days to investigate the police and report... Read more
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Epoch Times - NYC, NY, USA
15 November 2005
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To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy
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Kennedy Calls for Probe into P
Britain's Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy argued on Sunday that Police Chief Sir Ian Blair should answer to a Parliamentary select committee over allegations of police politicisation.
Critics of the government claim that ministers put pressure on the police to voice their support of the 90- day detention period prior to the crucial commons vote last week.
However, Minister for Defence John Reid claimed that the police were entitled to make their points known in matters relating to national security.
In an interview on BBC One’s The Politics Show on Sunday, Kennedy argued that Sir Ian Blair had “overstepped the mark” by coming to the House of Commons 24 hours before last week’s vote.
“When the chief of the Metropolitan Police takes such a high profile, as he did, over a specific amendment to a piece of government legislation, questions have to be asked,” he said.
Commentators have argued that whilst it is a regular occurrence for police officers to act as advisers to parliament, the degree of pressure exerted by the police last week — significantly close to the vote — could give cause for suspicion.
Charles Clarke admitted in a letter to the Telegraph last Saturday that he had written to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) asking that key figures stand ready to give advice to MPs, but denied that this amounted to a “politicisation” of the police force.
But doubts still remain whether — owing to plans to restructure the police service’s hierarchy — there was an implicit understanding that senior police officers adopt the government’s line ahead of the crucial vote.
John Reid argued on Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday that it was normal practice for ministers to authorise chiefs of staff in services such as the army or the police force to appear in public to answer questions.
Reid’s argument received sharp criticism from opposition MPs however, with Michael Howard writing to the Prime Minister to ask whether this meant that police needed permission by the Home Secretary to appear in the media.
But according to a BBC report the Home Office later denied Reid’s suggestion, claiming that the police are “operationally independent” of the government.
Conservatives have also called for an inquiry into what has resembled a lobbying campaign by chief constables encouraging MPs to vote along the government’s 90-day line.
Questions were raised when it was discovered that letters to MPs from different sources were found to contain almost identical words and phrases, suggesting to some that police chiefs were instructed on what to write.
Conservatives Peter Lilley and Stephen Dorrell say that MPs received telephone calls, emails and faxes from chief constables.
Mr Reid accused the opposition of a “slur on the integrity of the police” and argued that the insistence of police chiefs was more due to a belief that the 90-day detention period was essential in combating terrorism than due to pressure from the Home Secretary.
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