Chief Constable lacks credibility, integrity competence, and should be dismissed

Chief Constable lacks credibility, integrity competence, and should be dismissed – CoI report

Dec 03, 2018 News

The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the operations of City Hall has concluded that head of the City Constabulary, Chief Constable Andrew Foo should be dismissed.
Foo was summoned to appear at the CoI led by Justice Cecil Kennard (ret’d), but the final report revealed that during his oral submissions, some conflicting statements were provided.
Kennard’s report stated that it appeared from the outset that Foo lacks credibility, integrity and competence to manage the City Constabulary, which is under his control.

Head of the City Constabulary, Chief Constable Andrew Foo

“This officer is corrupt and incompetent and should be dismissed,” Kennard concluded in his report.
It was pointed out that the City Constabulary commenced several internal investigations and even as months, and in some cases years elapsed, these investigations are not finished.
“This to my mind can only indicate that there is in the case of these matters, no interest to conclude the investigation because of the person(s) involved,” Kennard noted.
The CoI received several complaints against Foo in respect of dereliction of duty and the cronyism, which exists within the department.
“One constable Easter Grant appeared at the CoI and accused this officer of improper conduct; when this was put to him, he was unable to deny the accusation,” the report notes.
The report noted that checks made by the Secretary of the CoI to the Treasurer’s Department, revealed that there were some ongoing deductions made at the request of Foo from the salary of the junior officer.
The CoI also heard complaints from another junior officer, Quacy Baveghems, in relations to Foo’s conduct.
These officers and others via letters to the CoI accused the Chief Constable of having a relationship with a junior officer who was promoted to Sergeant and performs duties of the Secretary to the Chief Constable. It is alleged that senior officers cannot speak to this junior officer about her conduct and if they do, they feel the wrath of the Chief Constable.
“During his oral evidence to the CoI, the question of his relationship with the junior officer was put to him, and he responded that he is not in any relationship with her,” the CoI report stated.
But the report noted that the Town Clerk’s bodyguard provided information that there is a relationship between the Chief Constable and the officer and further that she sells food during her active duty hours. The bodyguard claimed that at one time, she would even cook the meals on location.
Kennard concluded in the report, “I am of the opinion that the Chief Constable’s evidence was not totally true.”
The issuance of a firearm to the Town Clerk’s bodyguard also was put to Foo, and the report noted that he failed to provide any logical explanation to the question.
The handling of an investigation into the alleged break and enter of a storage facility and the removal of books also surfaced when Foo appeared before the CoI. The report stated that when Foo was questioned, he gave a story and caused a report to be prepared to corroborate his story.
“This is more than improper conduct; it borders on criminality,” the CoI report states.
The CoI received an anonymous letter in relation to Foo. The CoI report noted that the letter contained some damming revelations and if these are to be true, then the Constabulary is in tatters.
These complaints were raised with the Chief Constable when he appeared at the COI, and he denied all of it.
The CoI report has been handed over to the Local Government Commission for further action.

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