ANALYSIS: Commissioner of Police Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho’s recent remarks assuring Fijians that any allegations of Police brutality will be investigated with utmost urgency is applauded.

Recently, a video surfaced on social media allegedly showing Police officers beating some men on the roadside in Navua.

Such breaches are personally scrutinised by the Commissioner and he has got his team working to get answers as to what happened.

What really happened?

So far we know that the men videotaped have appeared in court charged in relation to a series of thefts in Pacific Harbour.

What led to the men being allegedly beaten up on roadside will be clearer once investigations are completed.

But, with Commissioner Qiliho on the case himself, Fijians can be assured that answers will be provided sooner rather than later.

He also admits that as an institution the Fiji Police Force has been on the receiving end of a lot of backlash with regards to the way they have conducted their work.

Now, with the drafting and eventual implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures they are sure to reduce and hopefully eliminate the significant number of Police investigations in which suspects have accused Police of unethical or unprofessional behavior.

And, it is in their interest to do that.

The last thing Commissioner Qiliho would want is for people to walk free and not answer for their crimes because his officers behaved unethically.

The last thing the Director of Public Prosecutions would want is for attention to be deflected from crime committed to questions about police methods.

And, the last thing we would want is for criminals getting away.

But one thing we can be sure of is that Mr Qiliho will not let any such thing slide under the carpet.

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