Police superintendent calls for award implementation

A police superintendent yesterday called on the police commissioner and the prime minister to implement an award of the Tribunal for the Investigation of Injustices and held them liable in damages.

Joseph Rizzo filed a judicial protest in the Civil Court and claimed that the tribunal delivered its award in March, 1999, concluding that he had sustained an injustice when he was not promoted to the grade of assistant police commissioner between September 1988 and February 1999.

The tribunal had recommended that Rizzo be promoted to this post with retroactive effect and with arrears in salary.

If the salary was not paid, Rizzo was to be paid Lm5,000 compensation.

Respondents had filed a writ in the Civil Court for a declaration that the award was ultra vires, but this writ was dismissed by the court and again by the Court of Appeal in February.

Both courts had concluded that it was the duty of the prime minister to implement the award of the tribunal by establishing all necessary procedures to this effect.

Rizzo claimed he had been seriously prejudiced by the fact that the award had not been implemented. He called on respondents to immediately rectify their actions and held them liable in damages.