ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The main opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Thursday said it “condemns and disapproves” of the move by the government to involve the police in politics after the authorities said that they had re-initiated a criminal investigation of former prime minister Lester Bird.

“The ALP condemns in the strongest terms this unwarranted and unjustified intrusion of the Royal Police Force into the politics of Antigua and Barbuda. Any matter which warrants an investigation, under our Constitution and laws, rightly belongs in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and not with partisan elements within the police force.”

The police in a statement said that a preliminary review of a report by the forensic expert, Bob Lindquist, has resulted in the selection of a full-time special investigative team to complete investigations and determine whether charges should be filed.
“The Royal Police Force has completed its preliminary review of the Lindquist Report and supporting documents and has concluded that there exists sufficient cause to re-initiate a formal criminal investigation into certain business transactions always bearing in mind the public interest,” the statement said.

“The matter will be vigorously investigated by the Royal Police Force without prejudice, fear or favour,” it added.

The Lindquist Report summarises the results of the forensic investigation conducted in respect of business transactions in relation to Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Company Limited (IHI) and the government headed by Bird.

But the AlP said that the police “is required to remain impartial and fair in its pursuit of law enforcement, always” but that the statement by the police “is no more than a political statement, in support of the six-year witch-hunt being carried out by (Prime Minister) Mr. Baldwin Spencer and his cohorts against the national leaders of the ALP”.

The party said that the police statement failed to report the Antigua and Barbuda government had

“quashed a Public Inquiry into the IHI matter just weeks ago after a High Court, on April 14 2010, ruled that the actions of the UPP (United Progressive Party) amounted to “an abuse of the Court’s process, interference with the administration of justice, and procedural unfairness…”

“Neither did the release report that an unwarranted search of the home of Asot Michael, by the Police in 2007, was declared illegal by the High Court, and that documents confiscated were to be returned; furthermore, the High Court ruled that no evidence unlawfully seized by the police could be used against Michael. Those documents have not been returned.”

The ALP said it is aware of the attempts by the government to divert the public’s attention away from the pending Appeals Court decision “which will very likely void three UPP parliamentarians’ seats”.

“The UPP is also attempting to distract Antiguans, Barbudans and residents from the poor and declining economic conditions that are eroding the economic gains made by families before 2004,” it added.