PSWA wants DNA consultation

On Wednesday, Attorney General Faris Al Rawi said the DNA legislation which was passed in 2011 allows for all prisoners convicted and remanded as well as the arrestee population and all officers from the protective services, Customs, Prisons and Immigration to submit themselves for DNA testing so that the information could be placed on a DNA database.

The AG also said he expects the lab to be set up by September or even earlier and added that the legislation makes it mandatory for the DNA test to be carried out on certain individuals.

However, President of the Police Social and Welfare Association (PSWA) Inspector Michael Seales yesterday lashed back at the AG claiming that he will have a legal fight on his hands if no consultation is carried out on the matter with the PSWA and other relevant bodies.

He said Government can legislate to do anything but once you have to impact on terms and conditions, you have to have a discussion with the representative unions and it cannot be the position that the Government could legislate without consultation.

“The membership of the Association can assure that although they have nothing to hide, (it) will challenge that legislation in court. “You can legislate but you cannot abrogate the rights of an individual under the Constitution.

“So any officer will have the full protection of the law and must not be in a position that he is disenfranchised because of the law. I think the Association will recommend consultation because the membership will have to have a clearer picture why they need a DNA data base, but without consultation it is a recipe for chaos”.

He noted that whenever a request is made for DNA tests to be carried out on any officer, the executive will meet with the membership to arrive at a consensus on the matter.

Yesterday President of the Prison Officers Association Ceran Richards said that he had not yet discussed the matter with his membership but added “The same haste and energies the Attorney General is extending to gather data for their DNA data bank we want the same haste and energy applied for the protection of prison officers on and off duty, that we call for Law Enforcement Act and although the Attorney General has set up a commit to treat with it we want a committee and the Attorney General to move with the same haste and energy having these laws brought before the parliament to protect law enforcement officers in this country who are under constant attack from the criminal element”.

He said that It appears that the state is not interested in the officers’ safety and security, “so we want the same enthusiasm haste and energies applied to this particular fundamental area.

We want politicians as well to take the same DNA tests” Newsday understands that Government is in negotiation with experts from England and the United States with a view of getting the best persons to set up the DNA lab.

The DNA regulator has already been contracted and is in the process of recruiting suitably qualified persons locally to assist in the setting up of the lab.