RANKS of the City Constabulary for the past few years have been made to buy their own uniforms, a move which has not been sitting well with at least one rank, who reported the matter on Friday, when he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the operations at City Hall.

Appearing before the CoI being chaired by Justice (ret’d) Cecil Kennard, City Constabulary Lance Corporal Quacey Baveghems protested the non- provision of uniforms, along with the non-remittance of his credit union dues, National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions and other tax deductions.

“The City Constabulary is supposed to provide us with uniform for us to execute our functions across the city, for the past four to five years, ranks of the City Constabulary have to sew their own uniforms, instead of the council providing it,” Baveghems said.
Baveghems, who is also the rank who was dismissed and then reinstated after witnessing one of his fellow lance corporals in a sexual act with a detained minor, also gave the commission a recount of the situation as it played out and what he termed to be the injustice that he had suffered.

The rank accused of sexual assault, Clifton Pellew, is currently on trial for rape of the minor.

On August 22 last year, Baveghems discovered Pellew in the act, and according to him, he immediately reported the matter to an assistant superintendent and Chief Constable Andrew Foo and was told to submit a statement, which he did.

Pellew was eventually dismissed and so was Baveghems. Baveghems testified that in October of that year he received a dismissal letter signed by Town Clerk Royston King.
“Reason for my dismissal I saw was that I did not take action, and I failed to make a diary entry. There was no hearing, I was not given a fair hearing,” Baveghems said.
Given that the town clerk had no authority to dismiss him, Baveghems subsequently wrote the Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan and President David Granger, which saw him being reinstated and sent on administrative leave.

However, the accused, Pellew, was also reinstated and sent on administrative leave. Baveghems was eventually returned to duty earlier this year.