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Former Scotland Yard officer to train Gaddafi police
Ben Bailey22.09.09
Retired police officers from London and Northern Ireland will travel to Libya next month to provide more training at public expense, it was revealed today.
Five officers from the capital and from Northern Ireland will give a 12-day training programme to 20 Libyan drug law enforcement officers with money from the UN.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Peter Robinson warned that his party would not tolerate any more officers from Northern Ireland travelling to the north African state.
The DUP is spearheading efforts to gain compensation for IRA victims in Libya, which helped finance the armed group during the Northern Ireland conflict.
NI-CO, the independent body administering the programme, is self-financing but with links to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, which is in DUP hands. It is a private company with an independent board of directors appointed by government body Invest NI.
A spokesman for Invest NI (the Government funding body responsible) told the BBC's Nolan Show: "Under UN supervision, NI-CO experts will provide a 12-day training programme to 20 Libyan drug law enforcement officers during October 2009.
"The course will be delivered by five retired police officers from both the London Metropolitan Police and the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland)."
DUP MP Nigel Dodds said last week that whoever decided to send serving PSNI officers to Libya was "living on a different planet".
It was later revealed that MLA Ian Paisley Junior, his party colleague, was a key part of the authorisation process.
Mr Robinson, First Minister of Northern Ireland, was in London last night for a meeting with Gordon Brown on policing and justice.
Mr Robinson said earlier: "Libya not only supplied arms but also helped finance the Provisional IRA, therefore it is imperative that it makes recompense for that role. It is clear from the reception for the Lockerbie bomber (Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi) that Libya still has a long way to go.
"Consequently, none of our elected representatives will be supporting any future deployments of police personnel to Libya until they have reached a settlement on the payment of compensation to PIRA (Provisional IRA) victims and relations have been normalised."
Mr Paisley has defended his involvement, saying it was useful to bring back information.
NI-CO is a not-for-profit company and has an independent board of directors appointed by Invest NI. It is self-financing.
Using experience of current and retired public servants in Northern Ireland, NI-CO delivers overseas projects in developing countries aimed at building efficient, accountable and sustainable public sector institutions capable of managing donor aid effectively and implementing positive change.
A NI-CO spokeswoman said: "In July 2009, NI-CO were awarded a £51,333 contract with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to support the Libyan government in its efforts to combat terrorism and counter drug trafficking.
"On October 3 four retired PSNI officers and one retired Metropolitan Police officer will travel to Libya to deliver a 12-day training programme in advanced mobile and foot surveillance techniques for 20 Libyan drug law enforcement officers.
"This small contract is only one of a large number of institutional training and capacity building programmes which NI-CO is currently delivering throughout the developing world."
Established in 1992, NI-CO has successfully managed and delivered more than 400 contracts in 65 countries across the globe.
Working with highly skilled practitioners resourced from across the public, private and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland, NI-CO offers governance, accessible justice, healthcare and community development services among others.
The spokeswoman said: "All of NI-CO's work is funded by the major bi-lateral and multi-lateral funding agencies and is aimed at supporting counterpart administrations in their pursuit of accountable, ethical and transparent governance.
"Over the last 17 years, their project portfolio has successfully showcased the strength of our local skills base to the international community and has promoted a positive image of Northern Ireland on the world map."
Victims of IRA violence expressed disbelief last week at the inclusion of an officer from Northern Ireland in the Libyan training scheme.
A Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) spokesman said: "NI-CO is a self financing, commercial company operating successfully in a competitive environment.
"Invest NI, DETI and the Minister (the DUP's Arlene Foster) have no day-to-day operational role to play in the running of NI-CO or in influencing or approving commercial decisions that the company makes in the conduct of its business."
Reader views (6)
Did I read this properly? WE ARE PAYING FOR IT!!!
- P Staker, Socialist Republic of Londonistan.
@Dave, London: "Britain, with comrade Brown, is no democracy".
The UK ceased being a democracy a long time ago.
Headed by Gormless Brown with Jackboot Straw hard on his heels, throw Meddlesum into the plot, add Blunkett and Prescott and Balls and Milibanana and hey! presto! you have the most inefficient autocracy in the world.
It is time the sheeple in the UK opened their eyes.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
Absolutely disgusting. What is happening to this country? WAKE UP! We have become the cesspit thinkers and do-ers of the free world. Is it any coincidence this has happened after the Human Rights Act came into force and since we are now a 'multicultural' society?
- Rob, London
All this for a private oil contract? What's in it for the poor old tax payers of Great Britain, who have to be the most generous in the world . . . ?!
- Roz, France
There being no obvious need for their services in this Country, "at our expense" I see no problem with this. Another example of why we are a laughing stock
- Steve, London
A democratic country is where the wishes of the people are carried out by its goverment.Britain,with comrade Brown,is no democracy.
- Dave, london
