Fri, 2009-09-18

Assistant Commissioner Paul Wright - The Bermuda Police Service would like to add some detailed comments about the circumstances leading up to the appearance in court this morning of two men charged with official corruption and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

I have been made aware that some aspects of the media reporting of this case might have unintentionally created a perception that the officer in the case Detective Sergeant Kevin Christopher had been accepting bribes when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.

The facts are that Detective Sergeant Kevin Christopher has conducted himself with professionalism, courage and integrity during a seven month long sting operation that culminated in the two court appearances this morning. His conduct during this protracted investigation exemplifies the highest standards of the Bermuda Police Service.

Policing is a difficult job all over the world and Bermuda Police officers are not immune from the threats presented to them by criminals – whether those threats be physical or whether they come in the form of corruption inducements.

Detective Sergeant Christopher is an experienced investigator working within the Serious Crime Unit but it would be remiss of me in taking the opportunity to appear today to set the record straight with respect to this case if I did not also acknowledge the professionalism, courage and integrity shown by many other Police officers on a daily basis in a wide range of other departments within the Service.

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