POLICE Commissioner George Jackson last night commented for the first time on the ongoing police investigation into the leaked dossier on the Bermuda Housing Corporation scandal.The leaked dossier — runnning to thousands of pages — revealed that Premier Ewart Brown and former Premier Jennifer Smith, along with former Minister Nelson Bascome and construction boss Zane DeSilva, were investigated by Fraud Squad officers investigating allegations of corruption at the Government quango.

The dossier’s contents, exposed in the Mid-Ocean News three weeks ago, sparked a constitutional crisis which received international media coverage. A temporary injunction has barred any further revelations, although that could be lifted when the Court of Appeal makes a ruling on Monday.

In a statement released last night, Commissioner Jackson said: “I, the Commissioner of Police, would like to apologise to the public for the theft of documents that were part of police investigations and the subsequent concerns that have arisen in the community and the Services. I abhor the conduct of those that were involved.

“The Bermuda Police Service is investigating the theft of confidential documents relating to the BHC and other inquiries. The Service would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that the Police have operational independence and the command and control of the Service is a matter for the Commissioner of Police.

“The allocation of resources to this investigation is also a matter for the Commissioner of Police and other senior members of the Service.

The lines of inquiry that the Bermuda Police Service is pursuing and intends to pursue are entirely a matter for the service, subject to applicable legislation.

“The theft of police files is considered a major breach, as it erodes the trust the public has delicately placed in the hands of the investigators and we are duty bound to investigate without fear, prejudice or favour.

“We want the public to feel confident that this is a standardised, systematic investigation that is following the normal investigative course which includes pursuing lines of inquiry and interviewing witnesses. We are confident that all measures that have been taken by the police have been appropriate for the circumstances of this case.

“As this juncture, in accordance with established good practice, I have invited a United Kingdom Police Force to review the conduct of our investigation and provide assistance and support to our team. Officers from Kent Constabulary will arrive on island in due course.

“I am reiterating that this hits at the very heart of policing and we urge anyone that can provide any information pertaining to this matter to contact police.”

Commissioner issues statement on leak