COMMISSIONER of Police Darwin Dottin will not give evidence any time soon in the police promotions civil case.
Following an application by Alair Shepherd, QC, for the court to allow “privileged communication” of the Police Service Commission (PSC) to be revealed, Justice Margaret Reifer today adjourned the matter for a date to be fixed – possibly in mid-August or early September.
Dottin was due to take the witness stand today following two days of evidence by his retired deputy Bertie Hinds and earlier evidence by Acting Commissioner Tyrone Griffith and permanent secretary Diana Campbell.
However, Shepherd applied today for the PSC to provide the court with the minutes of its June 6 and 19, 2012 meetings with Hinds and the promotions advisory board (PAB).
Shepherd submitted that while Section 9 of the Service Commissions Act precludes the revealing of communication between a service commission and Government, the Governor General (GG), the GG’s personal staff or a head of a Government department, neither Hinds nor the PAB fell into those categories.
Ralph Thorne, QC, agreed, while Tariq Khan and Jared Richards, representing the PSC and Dottin respectively, insisted that any communication involving the PSC should be protected from public disclosure. (Coastline Communication)
