EDITORIAL


The people of Grenada are trying to understand the rationale of the Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell in appointing, Sergeant of Police, Carl Caton to serve in government as the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries.

There must be something that the Prime Ministers knows about this middle level police officer that the rest of the country has not seen or knows anything about for the time being.

Sgt. Caton has sprung from just about nowhere to land an important job in a sector that needs rebuilding badly to help put "bread" on the table of so many families in this country. Most police officers who have been contacted cannot point to anything of significance that their colleague had done over the years to suggest or indicate that he was ready for the "big times" in government.

However, what is most upsetting to us about the new entrant in government is the manner in which he was quick to join the list of open and bold liars that is so much a hallmark of the regime.

This newspaper contacted Sgt. Caton last week Tuesday and questioned him on the talk making the rounds that he was due to be sworn in on the Friday of the said week as a member of the government.

What was shocking was the open denial from the middle level police officer that he was contemplating a switch from a public officer to a member of the political directorate. He openly lied to this newspaper when he denied that he had been engaged in any kind of discussion with the Prime Minister or anyone within the NNP on the issue.

Yet, four hours later, the same Sgt. Caton was attending a public meeting of the NNP at Rose Hill in the heart of the St.  Patrick East constituency at which the Prime Minister was introducing him to the small gathering as the new member of the government team. It is this kind of open and blatant lie that some "politicians" are prepared to tell to the nation that is contributing significantly to the breakdown of law and order in the society and sending too many wrong and mixed signals to our people.

And what was rather alarming is that the same Sgt. Caton when he presented himself at the Mt. Rose political meeting of the NNP for introduction to party supporters was still a member of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF). The Prime Minister who is the real Minister of National Security,  not Senator Einstein Louison based on constitutional provisions, should have known better than to be engaging Sgt. Caton in that kind of manner.

Dr. Mitchell should not have "encouraged" the police officer to break the rules governing the behaviour of public officers. Sgt. Caton had no right to attend an NNP public meeting in the manner in which he did and to be part of a process in which the Prime Minister announced him as a member of the government on such a public platform.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Raymond Charles confirmed to this newspaper that Sgt. Caton did not have the permission of the force to attend the NNP meeting and that when he did, he was still a member of the unit.

The deputy also confirmed that Sgt. Caton¹s name was recently  submitted to the Public Service Commission (PSC) along with others for consideration to be appointed as Inspectors in the force. There have been widespread rumours circulating in the country that as part of the deal worked out to attract the new entrant into government that a promise was made to make him an Inspector at the time of resignation in order to significantly improve on his retirement benefits.

GRENADA TODAY calls on the high command of the Police Force to withdraw the name of Sgt. Caton from the list for bringing the force into disrepute for the manner in which he violated the tenets of the force by his open attendance of a public meeting of a political party. If the police force lacks the acumen to deal with the situation then the ball is now squarely in the court of the five-member Public Service Commission (PSC) to investigate the matter whenever the name Sgt. Caton comes before the body for consideration.

This is a moral and ethical issue and the nation would be watching closely how the matter is dealt by the Justice Monica Joseph-led commission that includes the likes of Alvin St. John, Denis Thomas, Prescott Swan, and Wilberforce Nyaack.

Quite frankly the judge has not impressed us with the manner in which she has been doing business. Justice Monica should have a far better understanding of the law, and its application than any other member of the commission.

But how can the PSC boss continue to remain on the job in light of the clear and deliberate policy being pursued by the Prime Minister and his NNP regime to run a parallel civil service through the creation of Vote 340.

The Grenada Constitution provides for a single Public Service Commission to handle all matters pertaining to civil servants in the country, not two separate and distinct bodies.

History might not be too kind to Justice Monica and the others if they continue to be seen as mere facilitators of a regime that is prepared to flout the law and demonstrate a lack of commitment  to good governance and respect for our democratic institutions.