BRIDGETOWN (CMC):
Barbados Police Commissioner Richard Boyce has confirmed that lawmen here are seeking assistance from their counterparts overseas in determining who leaked a confidential internal police report in a case involving the former deputy speaker of Parliament, Neil Rowe.
Rowe, 43, has been charged with having sexual intercourse with a woman on September 18 last year, without her consent, or was reckless as to whether she consented. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge when he appeared before Magistrate Deidre McKenna on October 24.
The accused was granted BDS$10,000 (one BDS$=US$0.50 cents) bail and will re-appear in court on January 30.
Boyce told the online publication, Barbados TODAY that the key to a possible breakthrough in the investigations may depend on the technology.
“That investigation is continuing. We have reached a stage where we are engaging our partners overseas because it is heavily based on the technological aspect of it. So we are waiting on that information to come to us.
“We are hoping that we would get results in the near future, but we are progressing, looking at all angles. All avenues that are out there we are following them and hoping that we will get it over as soon as possible,” he added.
In his Christmas message, the police commissioner said the apparent breach of confidentiality that originated from within the constabulary does not accurately represent “who we are”.
“During the year, there was an apparent breach of confidentiality relating to a report that was made to us for investigation. We condemn such behaviour in the strongest terms. This does not accurately represent who we are,” he said.
Rowe’s attorney, King Counsel Roger Forde, had during his client’s first court appearance last year, called for whoever is responsible for leaking the police report purportedly given by his client’s accuser to be held accountable.