Former Director of Public Prosecutions Kirk Anderson worked his last day yesterday and arrived at the airport today - set to leave the country, for good as he heads to Jamaica to take up a job a prestigious firm in his home country. But he had to put those grand plans on hold for a few hours, because before he could board, Anderson was strung up at the airport by the police, acting on the instruction of the Income Tax Department.

Apparently, Anderson had tax arrears and the department had so advised police posted at the PGIA. So when he arrived at the airport today along with a party of two, booked for a Miami bound American Airlines flight, the lawmen were waiting for him. He was escorted away and detained in the VIP Lounge. The room was secured by police officers. At one point, police loosely escorted him out to get some food. He was held there for about an hour not released until his attorney Derek Courtenay arrived.

Income Tax staff including Marilyn Ordonez, the Deputy Commissioner of the department advised him that he owed $28,000 thousand dollars in tax arrears. He agreed to pay them immediately and left the airport with his attorney, with police and income tax personnel following behind in another vehicle. They met at the Scotia Bank on the Northern Highway where he paid and the debt was settled immediately. Anderson returned to the airport, but had already missed his flight and was forced to catch the Continental Airlines flight to Houston.

According to our reports, over some years, Anderson had a lengthy back and forth with the Income Tax Office over what portion of his salary was taxable. The dispute was because under the terms of his contract, his allowances are not taxable, but his $70,000 a year salary is. The dispute went on for years, but no one could have expected that it would have culminated in today's embarrassing scene, where the man, who was just yesterday one of the highest ranking officers of the judiciary, constitutionally protected, would have been detained by an only too willing Police Department for $28,000.

The truth is, if government was so eager for the money, they could have taken it out of his gratuity payment. 7NEWS has obtained a letter from Anderson to the Attorney General Francis Fonseca dated November 27th asking for that payment.

In his letter Anderson demands payment of three sums: firstly, $69,000 - half a year's salary and allowances; secondly, an $18,000 gratuity for all of next year; and, thirdly $13,000 for just agreeing to go quietly. His letter says that the Prime Minister and the Attorney General were, "forcing him to resign far earlier than his age of retirement." Considering his constitutional standing; just agreeing to go quietly, he argues, is worth another $13,000. Put together, those three payments add up to $100,000 which Anderson asked that the government pay before December 31, 2006.

Of course, as we alluded to earlier, the police, whose high command he has bitterly opposed, would have been only too willing to assist income tax with such a high profile detention of a department adversary. Later on we'll show you part of the reason why as we have in black and white that directive from Anderson that Chester Williams should be charged with harm.