A former Commissioner of Police, has come to the defense of Inspector Brian Hurst now under a cloud following the major diplomatic error when the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) band played the anthem of Taiwan instead of Mainland China at the recent handing over of the rebuilt stadium at Queen¹s Park.

Insp. Hurst has been removed from the band and given a desk job at the South St. George Police Station. Police Commissioner Winston James has asked his deputy, Raymond Charles to mount an investigation to find out how the mistake was made by the State-sponsored band.

Grenada broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2005 in favour of a more lucrative deal from the Mainland. James Clarkson who served as Police Commissioner during the 1979-83 revolutionary period, has come out in favour of the former Band Master who many feel is being made the ³scapegoat² for the diplomatic blunder.

According to Clarkson, there are much bigger ³fishes² than Insp. Hurst who should come under scrutiny. ³As a former Band Master, Cultural Officer, Acting Commissioner of Police and Diplomat, I cannot sit and see injustice done and not add my voice to the growing list of citizens who are speaking about the way in which Inspector Brian Hurst was kicked out from the Band², he said.

³Inspector Hurst is the least amongst those who in my opinion should be dealt with², he added. Clarkson acknowledged that what happened with the playing of the wrong anthem was ³a total embarrassment² for the people and the country as a whole but the matter needed to be looked at in much greater depth.

He suggested that the real ³big fish² should be caught and dealt with for making the diplomatic blunder and not jump all over Insp. Hurst. He said: ³I am sure we all can remember the last Billfish Tournament. Did anyone remember a prize given for the smallest fish? Certainly not, always for the biggest fish, so why the powers-that-be settling for a small fish like Brian?.

³Would the Investigating Officer get a chance to speak to the following persons whom I believe can be of some assistance; first and foremost the person in charge of protocol (assuming that there is one), and the Liason Officer in charge of Asia², he remarked.

Clarkson dropped strong hints that proper diplomatic protocol and procedures might not have been followed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and this could have contributed to the blunder. He said the norm in such a situation is to have someone from Foreign Affairs liaise with the Commissioner of Police and to provide him with the right anthem for the occasion.

This government official, he added should meet with the island¹s chief cop and indicate to him ³that a new (diplomatic) kid is on the block here are his country¹s anthem².

In addition, he said the new diplomatic entrant must have had to present his/her credentials to the Governor General and that ³something must have been played or said on that occasion².

According to Clarkson, the relevant people from Foreign Affairs should have been around with the police on the days immediately leading up to the activity at the park to make sure that everything was in order. ³Where were those persons? Did Inspector Hurst use his initiative and choose an anthem albeit the wrong one? Someone should have been there with him, leading him on.

³Needless to say at this point those persons suddenly gone dumb. Which brings me to the saying that one should never worry about the words of one¹s enemies but should worry about the silence of one¹s friends². Clarkson urged Insp. Hurst not to be undaunted by those who are now pointing their fingers at him.

³Keep playing your sax Brian, you would live to play for them one day. You are not alone², he said.