Clunie sent on leave - Police Services Commission responds to DPP's ruling

Glenroy Sinclair, staff reporter

Clunie...asked to take accumulated leave.

The Police Services Commission has sent Deputy Commissioner, Owen Clunie, on leave, while it continues to investigate his conduct during a recent probe into allegations of drug trafficking.

This was confirmed yesterday by a high-ranking police source who pointed out that the Deputy Commissioner was asked by the Services Commission to take all his accumulated leave which amounts to 195 days.

He was also slapped with three departmental charges as the Commission investigates statements by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Kent Pantry, that Mr. Clunie interfered in the recently concluded wire-tapping and drug trafficking probe, conducted by the DPP.

Contacted yesterday, Mr. Clunie, speaking from his St. Andrew residence, declined to comment, but instead referred The Sunday Gleaner to his attorney Ian Ramsay; but Mr. Ramsay could not be reached.

It is not clear when his leave begins; he was seen Friday evening at the Central Police Station gas pump, downtown Kingston, with the service vehicle assigned to him.

The Police Services Commission began investigating Mr. Clunie's conduct following a statement made by Mr. Pantry, that the Deputy Commissioner went to Portland, questioning policemen about aspects of an investigation into alleged drug running involving members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

According to the DPP, Mr. Clunie's action would have had the effect of interfering with the investigations by alerting people under probe that they were being investigated.

Deputy Commissioner Clunie, who has served the JCF for more than 30 years, was later asked to submit in writing what transpired when he visited Portland. But following the DPP's ruling, the Deputy Commissioner had requested to meet with members of the Police Services Commission to tell his side of the story.

In a previous statement, the Deputy Commissioner in defending himself, said he had gone to Portland with a senior police officer, with the blessing of Police Commissioner Francis Forbes. He explained that his mission was to investigate abuses and corruption in the Government-funded Witness Protection Programme.

It was reported that he went to Robert Smith, the director of the Witness Protection Programme, at the National Security Ministry, getting vital information about a witness who was being sheltered under the programme. He later proceeded to Portland where he found the witness and interrogated him.

A qualified attorney, Mr. Clunie, who heads the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI), reported late last year that his telephone line at home was tapped. There were reports that the lines of several public officers were also tapped.

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson intervened and instructed the DPP to probe the illegal wire-tapping issue and the involvement of senior police officers in major drug running betweeen Colombia, Jamaica and the United States.

After nine months of intensive investigations, the DPP disclosed his findings. In his August 3 ruling, he advised the police that three persons should be charged in connection with the illegal-wiretapping issue.

He said there was not enough evidence at that time to charge any senior police officer in connection with the drug trafficking.

- File

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