Barrow says Police silence on Mangar is tactic, not cover-up
And finally, with the entire police department suffering from chronic laryngitis, we couldn’t resist the chance to ask the Minister of National Security about the deafening silence on the subject of Wensworth Mangar.
Dean Barrow, Minister of National Security
“I should think that they do not want to go into additional details because the manhunt for Gabourel and Williams continues. And clearly the same sort of operation that was put in place with respect to Mangar is the kind of operation they are likely to use with respect to the other two. So it seems to me that it is for that reason that they do not want to show their hand overly, thus tipping off the bad guys as to what the police strategy is.”
Q: “What happens to the reward sir?”
Dean Barrow
“Well in my view the reward should go to the members of the police force that were involved in the apprehension by way of the killing of Mangar and as well to other elements of the force who might not have been in on the conclusion of the whole manhunt but who throughout the long months course, during which this was taking place, played a role. So I would want to see the reward equitably shared among members of the police force.”
Patrick Jones
“The killing of Mangar was an incident that many people thought would have been used by the police and certainly yourself as the Minister to hail as a huge success for law enforcement. But yet from yourself right down everybody has been avoiding the press in coming forward with details and saying anything so far as the incident is concerned.”
Dean Barrow
“Well it is well known that I am a modest fellow so the fact that I am not blowing my own trumpet ought not to come as a surprise. No, seriously Patrick, this was a very, very serious matter. I mean this guy was able to elude us for a number of months. I think we have breathed a collective sigh of relief with respect to his having been captured, in fact having been killed. I don’t think it?s the kind of thing I want to play politics with. And I don’t think it?s the kind of thing the police want to play politics with.”
The only thing we’ll say to that is politics may be politics but the facts surrounding a killing by security forces ought to be a matter for full public disclosure.
