IL SI’ DI IAN PAISLEY JR ALL’ADDESTRAMENTO DELLA POLIZIA LIBICA
Fu Ian Paisley Jr nel dicembre del 2008 a dare il nulla osta per l’impiego di agenti del PSNI nell’addestramento delle forze di polizia libiche
Shock dell’opinione pubblica e delle parti politiche alla notizia che il Police Service of Northern Ireland, si è adoperata negli ultimi 2 anni nell’addestramento della polizia libica.
E’ emerso che alla base di tutta la vicenda c’è il ‘sì’ di Ian Paisley Jr, all’epoca presidente del Northern Ireland Policing Board’s Human Resources Committee. La sua decisione venne poi siglata dal Segretario di Stato Shaun Woodward.
Proprio il Segretario di Stato ha insistito sul fatto che non c’è nulla di insolito dietro alla richiesta di invio di personale del PSNI all’estero, nel pieno rispetto di ogni normativa.
“Non è inusuale per il Psni essere invitato a sostenere la National Police Agency per migliorare il proprio lavoro in paesi stranieri.
“Tutte le richieste di questo tipo richiedono l’approvazione del Policing Board e dell’International Police Assistance Board prima di giungere al NIO (Northern Ireland Office) di cui è necessario il consenso”.
“Le trasferte sono limitate nel tempo e specificano il sostegno che si intende offrire. Tutti i requisiti normativi sono stati rispettati nel caso della recente trasferta in Libia”.
Il PSNI in una comunicato ha dichiarato: “In ogni momento il Police Service ha agito in maniera aperta e trasparente” e prosegue: “Gli agenti di polizia del Police Service of Northern Ireland sono rispettati in tutto il mondo e la nostra assistenza è regolarmente fornito per costruire capacità e professionalità in altre organizzazioni”.
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Police chiefs in Northern Ireland have been criticised after confirming that one of their officers has been to Tripoli to help train Libyan police.
He was one of a number of PSNI officers seconded to the National Policing Improvement Agency and, according to a statement, travelled to Libya following a request from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for a “specifically skilled officer”.
The statement said: “A decision was taken to support this request.”
But with the Libyan government facing demands for compensation for relatives of IRA victims killed by Semtex explosives supplied by Colonel Gaddafi’s regime, members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board said they were stunned.
They said they had not been informed of the decision.
‘Shocked’
Ulster Unionist MLA and member of the Policing Board, Basil McCrea, said: “I am shocked. I cannot believe we have been sending officers over to a country which has been responsible for so much death and destruction.”
He added: “The board has a statutory responsibility to know where officers are going outside Northern Ireland, and it appears we were side-stepped. If they want to do it, then it should be open and transparent.”
North Belfast DUP MP Nigel Dodds said the officer should be recalled while the issue of Libyan compensation for IRA victims was addressed.
Mr Dodds, who is part of the team of MP going to Libya next month, said: “I think there needs to be a thorough review of all the circumstances of how he got there in the first place, and I think until this matter of compensation and Libyan redress towards the victims is addressed then I think this is an area which needs to be put on hold and the officer there withdrawn.”
It was later revealed that it was board member Ian Paisley Jnr who said ‘yes’.
Mr Paisley was chairman of the board’s Human Resources committee when the request came in last December.
A board spokesman said because it was not due to meet again until February this year, procedure was followed and the secondment to Libya approved by Mr Paisley, the committee independent chairman Rosaleen Moore and the board’s then chairman, Sir Desmond Rea.
It was then rubber-stamped by Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward.
The superintendent went to Libya on January 12 this year and left again on February 2 and was back in Northern Ireland before the committee got around to meeting again.
Shaun Woodward insisted there had been nothing unusual about the PSNI being asked to help abroad and all legislative requirements had been met.
In a brief statement, the Secretary of State said: “It is not unusual for the PSNI to be asked to support the National Police Improvement Agency in work in foreign countries.
“All such requests require the approval of the policing board and the International Police Assistance Board before coming to NIO (Northern Ireland Office) ministers whose consent is required.
“Secondments are time-limited and specify the support to be offered. All the legislative requirements were met in the case of the recent secondment to Libya.”
The PSNI insisted it was satisfied that all appropriate processes were followed and approval received over the deployment of the officer to Libya.
“At all times the Police Service acted in an open and transparent manner,” said a statement.
It added: “Police officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland are respected across the world and our assistance is regularly provided to build capacity and professionalism in other law enforcement agencies.”
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