LAWLESSNESS has no place in a civilised society, says National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad.
His comments follow a statement by Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho on Thursday night that he would personally oversee an investigation into an alleged case of police brutality where officers harmed a suspect who was brought in for questioning at the Navua Police Station earlier this week.
Prof Prasad said the Fiji Police Force “clearly thinks” they were law unto themselves and could continue to commit gross human rights violations.
“This is the problem,” he said. “It is clear that the law of the jungle is being applied under Section 131(2) of the Constitution which gives members of our security forces false belief that they act in any manner under the pretext of protecting national security,” he said.
“They confuse their normal role and strict rules of arrest and detention of suspects with this provision of the Constitution.
“Furthermore, in the aftermath of the recent case of the arrest, detention and alleged torture of a 16-year-old boy by both military and police for allegedly posting on Facebook a picture of an anti-prime minister graffiti, the Police Commissioner justified the act as being lawful under the Section 131(2) of the Constitution.”
He said the party was not surprised that an ordinary police officer probably shared the same view and they could commit torture and escape any criminal prosecution.
“When the enforcers of the law whose primary objective is the welfare of the people become lawbreakers, the social and moral decay of the society becomes painfully obvious.”
In a statement on Thursday, Brig-Gen Qiliho said it would be unacceptable and deplorable if the alleged act was true.
“I will not allow any member of the Fiji Police Force to think that he or she is above the law,” he said.
“Police officers are well versed with their roles in upholding and respecting the rights of those who are brought into our custody, and any officer whose actions contravene these rights will be dealt with severely through our internal disciplinary processes and brought before the court of law to answer to their crime.”
