Former Police Commission, Arthur Caulton, who is challenging his termination as Commissioner of Police in Court, said saying Prime Minister was not involved in his termination is baseless, incorrect and misleading.
Mr. Caulton was responding to an article in Saturday’s Daily Post on the Prime Minister Office’s (PMO) rebuttal of any interference by Prime minister, Joe Natuman, in his termination.
The former Police Commissioner alleged that on September 2014, Government Public Relations Officer (PRO) Kiery Manassah came out on TV, saying he (Caulton) will lose his job.
However, Daily Post was told the Vanuatu Broadcasting Television Corporation (VBTC) has no file or any record of the government PRO making this purported statement on TV in its archive.
Mr. Caulton says the prime minister is responsible for the Police Service Commission (PSC) and it has a say in the operations of the PSC.
One of the allegations cited by the PSC as grounds for his terminations, was Caulton’s refusal to stop investigation in the current case before the Court-“Public Prosecutor vs Joshua Bong and others”.
“The government PRO knows fully well, following my briefing with the Prime minister in my capacity as Police Commissioner that the PM does not want this case to go to Court,” said Caulton.
“The PMO cannot deny that my termination has nothing to do with the PMO.
“The Police Act [Cap 105] requires that the Police Service Commission (PSC) consult with the Minister responsible for police which in this case is the Prime minister prior to making a recommendation for my termination to the Head of State.”
Mr. Caulton is also asking that all references by those concerned in the media ceased, saying he has suffered as a victim of politics.
While the Vanuatu Police Force is under the portfolio of the Prime minister, the PMO has all along maintained that according to the Police Act, it is the PSC that is responsible for the affairs of the Police and not the PMO and as at the end of the day the PSC is accountable for any decisions made because it does the hiring and firing.
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