Persons of interest vs persons of influence

Stephanie Gayle, otherwise called 'Sue Gayle' or 'First Lady', was yesterday among four individuals the police listed as major persons of interest.

- Jamaica Gleaner, August 11, 2010

"Police detectives from the Kingston Eastern Police Division have listed Carlton Grant, also known as 'Spragga Benz', as a major person of interest."

- Jamaica Gleaner, April 23, 2011

"Popular entertainers Rodney 'Bounty Killer' Price and David 'Mavado' Brooks have been named as persons of interest by the Half-Way-Tree police ... ."

- Jamaica Observer, June 13, 2011

"The vehicle believed to be involved in the incident which led to the killing of 17-year-old Khajeel Mais last Friday night was seized in a raid by the police at the home of a Kingston businessman last night."

- On the Ground News Reports, July 6, 2011.

"We're sick and tired of your -ism, schism game ... . You can fool some people sometimes, but you can't fool all the people all the time ... ."

- Bob Marley, 1973.

The isms and schisms that Bob decried in song still haven't simmered down. The isms - particularly classism - and the schisms - the vast chasms separating the rich and connected from the poor and powerless - still pervade our society.

When 'Blacka' or 'Panhead' or 'Two Teeth' is deemed a person of interest, his name is plastered across the pages of our newspapers. When the person of interest is just another ghetto deejay, the demand to appear at the nearest police station is trumpeted on radio and television. But when that person of interest is wealthy, powerful, and politically connected, he is simply labelled 'a Kingston businessman'.

It matters little that this 'Kingston businessman' may have cowardly and indiscriminately fired his weapon into an occupied taxi - depriving an innocent 17-year-old boy of the greater years of his life - simply because the taxi collided with his precious BMW X6. It matters not that in failing to inform the public of this 'Kingston businessman's' identity, the police gift-wrapped and hand-delivered to him an opportunity to covertly jet off into the sunset. Justice be damned.

In our democracy - or rather, in our 'hypocracy' - Lady Justice is a 'skettel' wearing Gucci blindfolds which she gladly removes at the behest of the highest bidder.

I respectfully urge Commissioner Owen Ellington to publicly clarify the Jamaica Constabulary Force's position on naming persons of interest. Is this practice reserved exclusively for use on poor and ghetto-based people? Is there a separate standard employed when persons of interest are wealthy and connected? The Jamaican people are eager to resolve this glaring inequity.

In the immediate wake of this tragedy, I heard nothing but praises for the police's handling of the investigation. That goodwill has since crumbled. With each passing day, it appears to be business as usual, where strong, often surreptitious bonds take precedence over justice and fundamental fairness.

Seize opportunity, commish

It would be unfortunate if the commissioner fails to seize this rapidly dwindling opportunity - as well as that presented by the recent police raid on the home of one of his charges - to announce the birth of a new era of law enforcement in which all men are treated equitably under the law and none are above and beyond its reach.

Perhaps the justification for not releasing this man's name is that no charges have been levelled against him. But no charges were filed against Spragga and numerous others, nor was evidence presented to suggest their involvement in any criminality, yet their names were publicly released.

In the present case, an unspeakable murder has been committed. The make and model of the suspect's vehicle have been established. A similar vehicle apparently displaying collision damage consistent with the underlying incident has been identified. Based on the police's own precedent, there appears to be overwhelming grounds on which to release this person's name. But, of course, he's a wealthy 'Kingston businessman'.

Norman Manley and Alexander Bustamante forged a covenant with the Jamaican people. We were promised an independent government that would reject Jamaica's history of divisiveness and discrimination and, instead, uphold principles of equal rights and justice for all, irrespective of class, creed or colour. It is awfully tragic that after nearly 50 years of independence, the rich still hold the handle, while the poor still get the shaft.

Din Duggan is an attorney working as a consultant with a global legal search firm. Email him at columns@gleanerjm.com or dinduggan@gmail.com, or view his past columns at facebook.com/dinduggan and twitter.com/YoungDuggan.