Africa-Press – Mauritius. We have time and again highlighted how vital it is for our democratic space, collective well-being and a feeling of security on the streets to have a police force that is well-equipped, trained and able to discharge their duties without fear or favour.
It should remain above political partisanship in serving the higher interests of the country and the thousands of rank-and-file officers know how much they cannot afford to lose professional credibility or impartiality in doing an honest day’s job irrespective of pressures from above or sideways.
Yet the general public has observed with anxiety, first the absolute trust of the PM in the ADSU as spearhead of the anti-drug fight, followed by its shelving aside in favour of the (SST) specialised unit and whose methods have been decried as highly mediatised but gross and often thrown out of courts or by the DPP.
After the impression of a “hit-list” targeting individual Opposition voices such as lawyers Akil Bissessur, Sanjeev Teeluckdharry, Rama Valayden and social activists like Bruno Laurette, the terms “drug planting” and “drug parcel posting” have erupted while revelations of Vimen Sabapathee or Franklin have shaken our faith in the capacity of the police force to clean itself of its black sheep.
This is a disquieting state of affairs. Meantime, the final episodes in the legal clear-out of unsubstantiated cases registered against lawyer Akil Bissessur and his entire family could lead to massive civil damages lawsuits.
Whatever the courts ultimately decide, this should be another reminder that the population does not have to bear future costs and damages incurred by those officials too willing to exceed their considerable mandate and overstep the lines of propriety in their function.
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