Director of Public Prosecution Colin Williams (Internet photo).
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, March 19, IWN – The leadership of the Police Force may find themselves facing charges if they continue to defy the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) orders to charge three of their colleagues in connection with a “friendly fire” shooting last year.
I-Witness News understands that up to Monday police were yet to lay charges against Sergeant Julius Morgan and Constables Orlando Collins and Adrian Forde of the Criminal Investigation Department, as DPP Colin Williams had instructed.
The pending charges stem from a shooting in Rose Place, Kingstown, on Dec. 5, 2012, that left Corporal Milford Edwards with an injured shoulder.
I-Witness News was reliably informed that Milford has lost use of the shoulder and needs surgery to replace at least one of its joints.
The office of the DPP said in a March 11 press statement that the DPP had written to Commissioner of Police Keith Miller instructing him to charge Sergeant Morgan with unlawful and malicious wounding, unlawful discharge of a firearm, excessive use of force and acting in a manner so rash or negligent as to be likely to cause harm.
Constables Collins and Forde were also to be charged with conspiracy to defeat the course of justice.
Police told the media in December that their investigations concluded that the shooting was a “friendly fire” incident.
But I-Witness News understands that there are inconsistencies in the police’s reports on the incident and forensic findings.
Meanwhile, the Office of the DPP said in the release that his office thoroughly reviewed the statements given after the shooting and decided to press charges after applying the Full Code Test.
I-Witness News understand that the DPP is inclined to act on the section of the Criminal Code that allows his to indict the police high command, including the Commissioner of Police.
I-Witness News further understands that there appears to be repeated defiance by the police command to lay charges against their colleagues when instructed to do so.
In 2010, police released from their custody an officer who the DPP has instructed be charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of another police officer inside a police station.
The police said then that at the time of releasing the officer, they had not seen a document ordering the charges but had read in the newspaper a report quoting the DPP as saying he intended to bring the charge.
The police did not contact the DPP before releasing the officer, who later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
I-Witness News also understands that police lethargy resulted in one of their colleagues, who was being investigated for sexual abuse of his 8-year-old daughter, leaving the country.
“… sometimes, people have a way when they are investigating matters, they want to keep things under their belt, so to speak. Based on what the investigators said, they wanted to do the groundwork first, but it seems that word got out … and the policeman got word of that and he [fled],” Commissioner Miller told I-Witness News on Feb. 17 of the officer, who reports say, also infected his daughter with a sexually transmitted disease.
Miller is currently attending the United Nations Final Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in New York.
The 10-day conference began on Monday.
I-Witness News Legacy Site 
AND PIGS WILL FLY
Posted by peterbinose | March 19, 2013, 10:28That’s why I like the US Justice system. Here in the US Virgin Islands, the department of Justice/ Attorney General lay charges and the Police enforces the law by carrying out those charges. It seems in SVG, the Police are doing their own thing independent of the DPP.
Posted by D Eric Williams | March 19, 2013, 11:17One of the problems is that both men were appointed by Gonsalves… Its my belief Williams would not dare to charge Miller, any more than Miller would dare to charge Gonsalves with anything, or Gonsalves dismiss Miller.
Posted by peterbinose | March 19, 2013, 20:09All this is showing, is how much a punk the DPP is…THE DPP IS PROBABLY THE MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN THE LEGAL BRANCH IN VINCYLAND…Yet he is talking all this cloth…what happen, the DPP ONLY HAS STRENGTH FOR VYNNETE FREDERICK? …BUT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE POLITICAL HACKS IN CERTAIN POSITIONS…THE POLICE HIGHER-UPS ARE ULP MINIONS AND CAN AFFORD TO IGNORE THE DPP…WHO IS GOING TO TELL THEM OTHERWISE…THE PRIME MINISTER?
When these fools rehire the three policemen who WERE FOUND GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW FOR ABUSING A JUVENILE…You know that the police force is A ROGUE ORGANISATION ANSWERABLE TO NO ONE…Look at all the nonsense that has taken place in the police force and the Commissioner still has a job…the commissioner himself was DUPED BY INTERNET CROOKS AND YET HE STILL HAS A JOB…Really?
And OF COURSE THE INEPT DPP STILL HAS A JOB…what a country!
What a shocking factor to read in the news
About one commander who could light the fuse
Or push the red button on that computer
That could cause a chain reaction and damage the future
Using our Treasuries we have made them strong
Creating authorities as we move along
But knowing power develops and absolute power corrupts
Question for the lads – Who going to guard these guards?
The royalties and the governments, look, the many houses of parliaments
The cassar of the guards – Who going to guard these guards? Yes.
Question for the fanatics advocating politics
In the face of failing standards – Who going to guard these guards?
[King Austin-who will guard the guards]
Posted by Teacherfang (@Llijame) | March 19, 2013, 20:24IS THERE A WAR GOING ON WITH THE DPP OFFICE AND THE POLICE HIGH COMMAND?
Posted by Isola Ollie | March 19, 2013, 20:58The Panorama program airs on Monday afternoon UK time 4.20 pm. Depending on what we see, we will see what bottle the DPP has when he views that, and what action he takes.
Forget all this crap its all part of the extended smoke screen, all a dance of the lite fandango, mind bending crap to make us loof left, when we should be looking right.
Keep your eye on the ball.
Posted by peterbinose | March 20, 2013, 05:27ISOLA OLLIE, there may well be, but I doubt either would dare confront Gonsalves, any more than Gonsalves would dare confront either of these men. They all have to much to lose they all know what the penalty could well be if they start attacking each other.
Remember the DPP has more power than a judge and jury, and often acts as a judge and jury, which cannot be right.
I believe that Gonsalves was a very lucky man to have this particular DPP when he was accused of rape and several sexual assault accusations. Because the DPP acted in those instances as the judge and jury.
Politicians are a set of men who have interests aside from the interests of the people and who, to say the most of them, are, taken as a mass, at least one long step removed from honest men.
Abraham Lincoln
Posted by peterbinose | March 20, 2013, 07:35