And from "Dia De La Raza" to "Noche de Los Narcos" - that was two weeks ago when the drug plane landed on the Southern Highway. The 1800 pounds of cocaine have already been destroyed - but there are still so many questions about this landing in which 4 police officers were allegedly assisting the Narcos with their mission.
Since then police commissioner Chester Williams has been all over the news - but this is the first time the media has gotten to speak with his Minister.
Musa said that - in spite of the cop corruption - there was also police heroism out there on that highway - and it has now led to what he calls a wide open investigation where, as he put it, "everyone is a suspect":
Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. Home Affairs
"I find it regrettable. I find it regrettable because we forget that there were four very brave officers who risked their lives to go after an airplane, likely knowing that it was drugs on that plane and to actually engage with those at the scene, both civilians and allegedly police officers as well. And so we have to commend their bravery for actually doing that that night."
"Now, which of you in here, as members of the media have not heard before that police officers are involved in this? And I'm sure all of you have heard it. So if you're giving me the option, Courtney, to say, Minister, we'll give you A.) You can catch the drugs, but you can't catch who landed the plane or who facilitated, or B, you also catch the drugs and you catch those individuals responsible for facilitating the plane landing. I will always choose B. And as much as it is painful to see as minister to see that there are corrupt officers involved, it's all over the world. The same night one landed in Guatemala, eight officers in their uniforms were caught at the scene of the plane."
"And so it might be a very difficult pill to swallow as a country, but that is how we root out the corrupt officers. Yes, when you peel off the Band-Aid, the sore is not a pretty one."
"It's not a pretty sight. But in order for you to treat the wounds that are within the department, you must first see it."
"This is an open investigation. And so if it is that the evidence, as you know, there were four cell phones phone at the scene, we have already gotten the court order to access the contents of those cell phones. And if it is that on that cell phone, there is a message to you, Dwayne, we will naturally bring you in for questioning. Doesn't mean you're guilty. But we have to look at everybody as a suspect, so it doesn't matter if it's the commissioner all the way down to a police constable or or an ACP or a DCP, whatever the case may be. Everybody has to be a suspect. And so this case is by no means an open and shut case. We are looking at all angles. We have the DEA also involved in the investigation. Not directly, of course. And I've actually had a sit down with the head of the DEA and they have assured me that they feel confident in the team of investigators that we have assigned to this particular case."
Reporter
"You mentioned that there were four cell phones found at the scene and you are requesting records, but are we also requesting records from Mr. Vidal, the Assistant Commissioner?"
Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. Home Affairs
"Ehm, I don't know the extent of the investigation, how far up that has gone. I just know that the four cell phones found at the scene. Those have been retrieved, those have been taken into custody and we have gotten court orders for those I would have to inquire about Mr. Vidal's cell phone. Again, that is taking it a whole lot of direction. But perhaps it could lead to that."
"Like I said, everybody's a suspect. So not just Vidal, but other members of the department, the high ranking members of the department."
"Maybe we need to go there, not just Mr. Vidal, everybody, like I said, it has to be a suspect."
