‘Discipline deteriorating inside the public sector’
Public Service Commission rues lack of cooperation from police department
Disciplinary actions taken by departmental heads inside the civil service have fallen to just 463 in 2008, from 1,152 in 2005, confirming the “apparent deterioration” in discipline according to the Public Service Commission.
Writing in its annual report, the PSC commenting on the decrease “over recent years… to the application of discipline in the public service by Heads of Departments.”
But the commission notes a reversal of this trend in 2009, when cases of disciplinary action increased from 463 in 2008 to 684.
However, the PSC – the constitutional body responsible for enforcing discipline in the public service – has slammed the police for its “lack of cooperation” in informing heads of department on pending criminal procedures against public officials.
The commission had already alerted the government of this shortcoming in 2008. Following the government’s intervention the Commissioner of Police had issued strict instructions to prosecuting officers to remedy the situation, under threat of disciplinary action.
But in its latest annual report, the commission notes that even after these instructions, a particular department was not informed that an employee had been arraigned in Court and subsequently convicted on two separate cases in October 2008 and July 2009, respectively.
Moreover, the Police Department had even failed to reply to the Commission’s request made in October 2009 asking to be informed of the reasons why the Police authorities had not informed the department concerned of these two cases.
The commission decided to raise the matter again with the Commissioner of Police and with the Principal Permanent Secretary.
Following submissions made in this regard by the Principal Permanent Secretary, the commission subsequently ruled in March 2009, that the Commissioner of Police should not refer contraventions to Heads of Department unless those contraventions had occurred at the place of work of the officer concerned or were directly related to his or her duties.
The commission also expressed its disappointment with the Commissioner of Police about delays in transmission of important information by the Police Authorities, where as a result, the PSC was hindered from taking timely and appropriate action due to misleading or insufficient information.
The commission called for an internal review of the way in which important decisions were conveyed by the Police, even asking that communication gets updated to the 21st century: “It was further suggested that, the better use of modern communication methods such as telephone and, even more relevantly, e-mail facilities instead of letters should be used.”
On its part the PSC dealt with 71 cases involving criminal proceedings against public officers recommending the suspension from work pending a court outcome in 29 of these cases. 11 were eventually dismissed from public service, six of which had been found guilty of fraud, three of violent behaviour and drug related offences.
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