• Military
• WMD
• Intelligence

• Security Menu                     

• Systems
• Industry
• Operations
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Space

London police chief brushes aside criticism over de Menezes killing

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Nov 8, IRNA
UK-Police Chief
Britain's most senior police chief Thursday brushed aside further severe criticism of his role in handling the mistaken killing of Brazilian engineer Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell underground station in south London over two years ago.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair was accused by the chairman of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) Nick Hardwick, of causing much of the avoidable difficulty his force has faced following the fatal shooting after the watchdog published its delayed report.

"The commissioner attempted to prevent us carrying out an investigation," Hardwick said. "In my view, much of the avoidable difficulty the Stockwell incident has caused the Metropolitan police arose from the delay in referral," he said.

But in response to the 167-page report, which was completed 18 months ago, Blair insisted that he was satisfied the Metropolitan Police has "significantly improved" in the wake of the shooting and said he intended to "remain in this post."
Last week at the High Court in London, Britain's largest police force was found guilty of a series of "catastrophic errors" leading to the shooting of de Menezes by armed officers on July 22, 2005.

On Thursday, the London Assembly passed a no confidence motion against Blair by 15 votes to eight, after he argued that no officer was personally culpable for the mistaken killing, even though it has no power to remove him.

The IPCC report said that it found the operation that led to the death of the innocent Brazilian marred by confusion, misunderstanding, insufficient resources and structural failings.

Following the findings, Vivien Figueiredo, a cousin of De Menezes, said that the police chief's position was "untenable". The family said they would take the case to the European Court for Human Rights.

Blair has so far received the support of the British government, including from Prime Minister Gordon Brown, to remain in his post, but the issue about his future is not expected to go away with the delayed inquest into the death due to start next April.

2220**345**1430**1