But were the police doing their best last week when Cayo police say they were forced to let a Special Patrol Vehicle go with three cases of contraband beer? It's a case we first reported on last Thursday, where the Officer in Charge of San Ignacio and Santa Elena, Richard Rosado led the search of an SPU mobile. The ten police officers in the vehicle were coming off two weeks of jungle duties at tourism and border sites. The police who were conducting the search had intelligence that there were contraband beers and a sack of weed in the pickup. They took the truck in to the station to be searched. And here's where the story becomes unclear. Cayo police say Deputy Commissioner Blackett called from headquarters to tell them to sotp the search and let the truck go. Blackett says he did not such thing. He says he only interceded after the truck had been searched and nothing more than contraband beer was found. He says the officers were coming off a long shift in the jungle and he wanted them to get home. So the pickup was released with the contraband and sent on its way to Belmopan.
But, there are a lot of questions arising from this story - and today I tried to get some clarity from the COMPOL who says an investigation is ongoing:...
Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"An internal investigation ongoing. It has not been concluded. I do know that at this point in time that there was any drugs in that vehicle. So whilst it may have been the initial information that they were transporting drugs. That was not confirmed."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"Right, but as you said an investigation will be done because according to what we understand certain officers actually saw the bag of weed in the vehicle and as they were going to search the vehicle or take out the bag of weed, that's when Mr. Blackett called."
Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"The investigation is ongoing and so far the investigation has not disclosed any signs that there was drugs in that vehicle."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"Sir, but it's also confirmed that Mr. Blackett he did call and he did admit that there was contraband goods in there as well. So that's one level as well."
Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"Mr. Blackett had already say what he had to say in terms of that matter publicly. As I said the investigation is ongoing and when it concludes, those officers who are responsible will be dealt with."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"Just looking at the contraband issue, will there be anything, any penalty with Mr. Blackett? I don't believe he should have called or intervene at all in the first place."
Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"I won't get into that. He was the commissioner acting at the time and he made his decision based on the information he had and I won't second guess his explanation or his reasoning for doing so."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"Who is in charge of this internal investigation in this Mr. Blackett case?"
Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"The commander, professional standard branch is conducting the internal investigation. In my absence Mr. Blackett had directed that the matter be investigated and if I had been here of course that is what I would have ordered anyway,"
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"But objectively he can't be a part of the internal investigation because he needs to be question as well. He can't be a part of it."
Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"Well you have to understand the internal investigation is to see what occurred in terms of the actions of the officers out there. It's not to see if Mr. Blackett was wrong or right. Mr. Blackett was the commissioner at the time and he made his decision based on the information he had and he I am certain that he has submitted a report also to Mr. Lino."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"But his position still needs to be questioned though, because maybe his decision wasn't the best decision objectively."
Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"Well hindsight is a blessing, I'm saying that when he made the decision it was based on the information he had at that time and so I can't say he was wrong in terms of what he did. But hindsight is always a blessing."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"So in this case there is a suggestion that the officers who said they saw the bag of weed in there, they just made up the story? I don't quite understand how that situation occurred."
Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"Perhaps you should ask that officer. I am saying to you that so far the investigation has not revealed that there was any drugs in that vehicle."
Blackett told us last week that the three cases of contraband were confiscated at headquarters.
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