come to court to testify in his case, Laurie Furbert has little faith that justice will be served.

Speeding charges against Mr. Furbert were dismissed recently after Police officers failed to appear in court.

The dismissal of his case prompted both Acting Senior Magistrate Edward King and Director of Public Prosecutions Khamisi Tokunbo to criticise no show Police officers in open court.

Police Commissioner designate Jonathan Smith launched an investigation into Mr. Furbert's case last week.

However, Police spokesman Coleman Easton said no update was yet available on the progress of the investigation: "The investigation is still in its early stages,'' he said.

But Mr. Furbert said that he has not even been contacted with regards to his version of events and he is asking why Police are not subjected to the same treatment as speeders when they don't show up in court.

"I was ten minutes late for my first trial date,'' said Mr. Furbert. "When I got there, they'd already issued a warrant for my arrest.'' And despite his arrival in court, the warrant was not revoked and Mr. Furbert had to sign for bail of $400.

When the second court date came up last Wednesday, Mr. Furbert arrived five minutes before his 9 a.m. trial time, but he says court didn't start till after 10 a.m. and at 10.30 a.m. the Police officers still hadn't arrived.

Police officers are not subjected to warrants for their arrest, he said. "I feel the law should be double edged. It should work the same way for both parties,'' said Mr. Furbert.

"If I should be reprimanded, he should too. But it never works that way.'' Mr. Furbert intended to challenge his ticket on the grounds that it contains conflicting information. The ticket area that indicates the speed he was travelling, reads both 61 and 63 kmh overlapping -- it is impossible to tell from his carbon copy which was written first.

And, he says, that when he was originally stopped on November 14 of last year, the officer told him he had been travelling at 59 kmh.

"Who is protecting us from the Police,'' asked Mr. Furbert.

Mr. Furbert also obtained a copy of his ticket from Police files and found on comparing it with his carbon copy of the ticket additional information -- such as his driver's licence number, which he had not supplied -- had been added in.

"As far as I know the information on the ticket should be the same as that they show you before your face,'' he said.

Despite the fact the case was dismissed, Mr. Furbert feels the system mistreated him.

And, as he was stopped in 8 a.m. traffic along Kindley Field Road in St.

George's, he also questions how Police can be sure which vehicle the radar had picked up.

"The traffic is bumper to bumper at that time,'' said Mr. Furbert. "It would be hard to be sure who they are picking up.'' But, Mr. Furbert argued, in speeding cases the defendants seem to be assumed guilty. "The defendant shouldn't have to prove himself innocent,'' he said.

And he doubts that Police are taking the investigation seriously.

"If an officer is presumed to be doing something wrong, they're always trying to hide it from the public,'' said Mr. Furbert. "They only disclose information if public opinion demands it.'' Basically Mr. Furbert said he just wants the system to be more fair. "If the investigation goes against the Police, the truth should be disclosed,'' he said.

"Then maybe the public will feel like we have a fair justice system.''