Monday 22 July 2013

Top Cops

It has often been said "In view of the public interest, openness and transparency may be the only way that the public can be reassured that no one is above the law."

Seeking justice is Seni Lewis.

The family of a man who died days after being restrained by police have asked judges to review the police watchdog's report on his death. Even the Independent Police Complaints Commission now says its report into Seni Lewis is flawed and needs to be investigated all over again - but the Met police says that it is unlawful to re-open the investigation again. Parents, Ajibola and Conrad Lewis, say they hope to get justice for their son.

Another still seeking justice is Stephen Lawrence.

Britain's most senior police officer failed to tell Doreen Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen, that undercover spies gathered intelligence on her family while the family were pressing the Met police to carry out a proper investigation into his killing. The Metropolitan Police commissioner, withheld the information when he met Doreen Lawrence three weeks ago to discuss claims that a covert Special Branch unit had collected intelligence on her family. Hogan-Howe had been notified before the meeting that an internal police investigation had uncovered information on the Lawrence family in the files of the undercover unit.The disclosure comes as Doreen Lawrence reiterated her call for a judge-led inquiry to "uncover the truth of what happened to my family". Doreen said "there seems little point in taking part in two private investigations which are being conducted by the police and a barrister into claims that undercover officers were asked to search for information to discredit the campaign for a better investigation into the murder."

This comes on the back of the Liverpool Families who are still seeking Justice.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission led investigation is looking at the deaths of the 96 Liverpool football fans in April 1989. Investigators initially found 164 police statements had been altered. However, the Independent Police Complaints Commission says it has now "identified an additional 55 officers whose statements appear to have been amended." An investigation by the Hillsborough Independent Panel showed police and emergency services had made "strenuous attempts" to deflect the blame for the disaster on to the fans. Of the altered statements previously identified, 116 of them had negative comments about the policing of the match removed or changed.


Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Project Riverside is the name of a review by the Serious Organised Crime Agency into investigations by both Scotland Yard and the Information Commissioner into the murky world of criminal private detectives between 2003 and 2007. The report shows detailed police knowledge of criminal private detectives working for industries besides newspapers. Such as law firms and insurance companies. Yet almost all of them were never brought to justice. It shows that police knew of widespread criminality among private detectives throughout the period when the Met failed to take proper action against the News of the World. Project Riverside shows that other industries besides newspapers have engaged for years in the unlawful trade in personal information, yet none has been prosecuted for commissioning illegal acts. The chairman of the Serious Organised Crime Agency has said they will not publicly reveal which companies hired private investigators to hack for information as it could “undermine” their financial interests and “taint” them with criminality. If the Serious Organised Crime Agency has uncovered evidence of widespread criminality or questionable practice, why were they not investigating and prosecuting people. Is it criminal of SOCA not to investigate and prosecute serious crimes?

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