Reporter declines to hand over “Top Secret Document” to police

Feb 12, 2016 News

A local Television Reporter could find himself in hot water, depending on the advice the police receive from their Legal Advisor on a “Top Secret Document” he purportedly has knowledge of.
Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud disclosed yesterday that the police had contacted the Reporter to obtain information on the “document” which purportedly links a Senior Police Officer from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to criminal activities.
However, that information was not forthcoming, and according to the Top Cop, an investigation is presently underway.
The Reporter had claimed in a new item earlier this week that the relevant authorities have obtained a document which details the alleged corrupt practices of a high-ranking Police Officer. He had claimed that the document details the officer’s “link to the drug underworld; the planting of guns, cocaine and other bits and pieces of evidence on persons, some of whom are still before the court and others who may have already been wrongfully prosecuted”.
Kaieteur News was informed that the Reporter is refusing to cooperate with investigators.
When asked about this revelation yesterday, Commissioner Persaud told this newspaper that he only heard about it on Wednesday, and he immediately ordered that an investigation be done. He said that he ordered that since the matter involved an officer at the CID Headquarters, who the Force is still to identify, the investigation should be conducted by Detectives from the police’s East Coast Demerara Division.
To facilitate this, the police needed the testimony of the Reporter, since according to reliable sources, the Force has no knowledge of any top secret document, implicating the Officer in question.
“The Reporter was called in yesterday (Wednesday); he was contacted and asked to come in regarding the report. He came in this morning (Thursday) with his lawyer and told the police that he did his own investigation, has his own evidence, and he’s not handing anything over to the police,” the Commissioner stated.
According to Persaud, investigators are in contact with the police’s Legal Advisor on how to proceed with the matter.
“I don’t intend to leave it alone, however, I will be guided by the police legal advisor,” the Top Cop said.
When contacted last evening, the reporter explained that he was contacted by the police at his place of work on Wednesday and was invited to meet with the Divisional Commander at Cove and John “to discuss the matter.”
He said that he did turn up for the discussion and the police requested the document or that he reveals its source.
“I said that I cannot do that at this point,” the Reporter told Kaieteur News.
He said that the police investigator then enquired from him if he would reveal the document in the future to facilitate the investigation.
“I did say to the officer that I’m not prepared to release it at this time,” the Reporter stressed.
He also did not provide investigators with a statement.
Since it would appear that the police are unaware of the “Top Secret Document” in question, the reporter claimed that it was seen by a senior government functionary.
East Coast Demerara Divisional Commander Marlon Chapman told this newspaper last night that the matter is a serious one, but without the cooperation of the reporter, the investigation would not turn up much.
In addition to the document, he said “we have to have statements to start an investigation.”