Today in the Magistrate's Court, Police Superintendent Ewart Itza got vindicated big time when all assault and related charges were thrown out.
The senior police officer has been under a cloud of suspicion since last year when he was accused of wanton misuse and abuse of his power at the Dangriga police station. But not even the DPP himself Kirk Anderson could make the case against Superintendent Itza and today he walked out of Magistrate's Court a free man. Magistrate Earl Jones dismissed charges of wounding, harm, false imprisonment, indecent words, insulting words, aggravated assault, threat of death, and false of imprisonment against the Superintendent.
In reading his half hour long judgement Magistrate Jones tore apart the police's case for bungles ranging from failure to set up an ID parade to a lack of medical certificates to prove the charges of harm and aggravated assault. And the nail in the prosecution's coffin however was Magistrate Jones' assertion that as a police officer Superintendent Itza is allowed to use necessary force and the prosecution failed to establish the reason of his intention beyond a reasonable doubt.
All these charges stem from an incident at the Dangriga Police Station on August 24th of last year. On Thursday prior to today's judgement, Magistrate Jones had already dismissed some of the charges.
Itza walked away from court today free however he says he Is not sure if wants to rejoin the police department. And the decision may not entirely rest with him since his faith on the PD is now in the hands of the police tribunal.