The Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) has written to Justice Minister Delroy Chuck seeking his intervention regarding what it says was an incorrect claim made in parliament, yesterday (Jan 30).

The letter also sought clarification in relation to assertions that the commission needs to operate with “balance” and requested an opportunity to be so advised and to be given an opportunity to respond.

Indecom says the letter, dated January 31, also emphasized the importance of misinformation not being allowed to direct policy.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, while responding to Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips in parliament, suggested that changes may be made to the legislation governing Indecom.

Dr. Phillips had raised concern about Indecom’s agents disarming cops.

Mr. Holness says there needs to be balance in how Indecom operates.

Meanwhile, the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) has refuted claims made by the Opposition Leader about cops being disarmed by investigators.

Yesterday, Dr. Peter Phillips raised concern about how cops are being de-motivated by being disarmed by Indecom’s officers, in public, at the scene of the incident.

In a statement today (Jan 31), Indecom says the assertion that police officers are being disarmed at shooting incident scenes by investigators is false.

Indecom says in the eight years that the commission has been in operation, no Indecom representative has ever disarmed a police officer at a scene or at any other time.

The agency says it is always done by another police officer. Further, the police officers are disarmed at a police station.

Indecom says following an incident in 2013, the matter of disarming cops came up and guidelines on the disarming, labelling and storage of firearms and weapons were agreed upon by Indecom and the JCF High Command.

It adds that the seizure and inspection of a police officer’s firearm has always been a part of the commission’s investigative process.