Dear Deputy Assistant Commissioner ******,
Thank you for your letter dated 10th February 2014. May I say I am very pleased
with your response so far?
The original case and the complaints that have followed have become
extraordinarily complex and I intend no criticism when I say that I do not
recognise your summary of the situation in your third paragraph.
It was not the meeting between the police, Bexley council and the CPS that
caused the delay between identifying the suspect and his arrest.
The order of events is...
1. Suspect identified : mid November 2011.
2. Notification to me of the search warrant application : 26th May 2012.
3. Arrest : 21st June 2012.
4. Police/CPS/council meeting to "resolve the suspect's situation" : September
2012. 12th if I remember correctly.
5. Suspect released from bail : October 2012.
The reason for the delay between November 2011 and May 2012 can only be guessed
at though it must be significant that half way through that period a police
officer noted that I should be told that no more could be done.
It is my suspicion that CS Stringer was dancing to Bexley council’s tune, an
earlier IPCC investigation on another matter showed that he had done it before.
I further suspect that CS Olisa arrived with the best of intentions, hence the
warrant application quite soon after his arrival, but in the event succumbed to
the "political interference" which Detective Sergeant **** ******
volunteered to me and Mr. Bryant which she said had "crippled" the
investigation. I have reason to believe she was criticised for this outbreak of honesty.
On 1st March 2013 I challenged CS Olisa on the delay and the political
interference and he became extremely agitated in a way that I found to be quite
shocking in a senior officer. I make no complaint about that but I am asking you
to investigate the political interference that occurred on his watch. I am
complaining about CS Olisa apparently inventing the story to cover the delays
for which his predecessor was mainly responsible being caused by the need to
investigate me as the suspect for several months. Eight months was the figure
discussed at the meeting between us. Nothing in my Subject Access Request
response refers to me being a suspect and why would it take so long and I not be
interviewed?
A recent letter from the IPCC has said it may be necessary to interview
witnesses. My MP Teresa Pearce has already told me that she looks forward to
being interviewed and I am confident that she will confirm everything I have
reported.
I trust the above clarifies things. Please feel free to email me should the need
arise.
Yours sincerely,
Malcolm Knight
14th February 2014