POLICE FORCE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19972, 5 July 1930, Page 16

POLICE FORCE.

MR M'ILVENEY'S RESIGNATION. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. Craiaa association telegram..; WELLINGTON. July 4. Immediately the House of Representatives resumed at 2.30 p.m. to-day, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe made a statement in regard to the resignation of the Commissioner of Police, and also in regard to the enquiry into the dismissal of ex-Sergeant Bonisch from the Police Force. Mr Cobbe said the Commissioner's letter of resignation, dated June 28th, was received by him on June 30th. This letter did not contain any reasons for the resignation, and was not accompanied by any other memorandum. Later in tho morning of the 30th, a second letter was received from the Commissioner in which he referred to the committee which had been appointed to enquire into the case of the penalty inflictod on Sergeant Bonisch. Prior to the receipt of this subsequent letter it had been decided to recommend the Governor-General to accept the resignation. Tho action of the Commissioner in tendering his.resignation in the manner he did, presumably on account of exception taken to a purely administrative direction in regard to the case of Sergeant Bonisch, could only be regarded as "holding a pistol" at the Government, Mr Cobbe said. 'fAs the responsible Minister in charge, I was not prepared to countenance such an act insofar as the Government is concerned. The acceptance of the Commissioner'B resignation had no other bearing on the issue of this enquiry. As the case of Sergeant Bonisch was under investigation by the committee, I deemed it inadvisable at that stage to make any reference to it. I now desire to state the following facts regarding this matter. "Sergeant Bonisch was discharged from tho Force on June 15th, on the recommendation of tho Commissioner of Police, approval to which was given by my predecessor in charge of the Police Department. Formal notice of appeal was sent to me by Sergeant Bonisch, and numerous representations were made to me by-other persons that this officer had been harshly dealt with. I went into the whole of the papers carefully myself. From these papers and from further information received by me I was of tho opinion that the punishment was too severe, and that the case was one in which further enquiry should be made. I referred the matter to the Public Service Commissioner and the Solicitor-General, and they recommended that it should be reviewed by an informal Appeal Board, consisting of a Magistrate, an ex-member of the Police Force, and an outsider, with a. view to submitting a recommendation to me as Minister for Justice, as to whether tho punishment of dismissal was, in their opinion, warranted. This Committee was of almost similar constitution to that provided by the Statute for Appeals, in which appeal could legally be made, and which would have been granted Sergeant Bonisch, had he pleaded not guilty to the four charges on which he was dismissed. "The report of this Committee has now been received by mo, but as it deals with matters of Internal administration, and with tho case of an individual officer, I do not propose at the present tirao to make it public. I may say, however, that the Committee are of the opinion that the letter written by the Commissioner of Police to tho late Minister, on which he acted recommending the dismissal of Sergeant Bonisch, did not fairly and accurately set out the circumstances of the case. After full enquiry they express the opinion that the punishment of dismissal in this case was not justified. "The whote matter of the administration of the Police Force of the Dominion is receiving the earnest considpv?tion of the Government, Under-Secretary of Justice has, in the meantime, been appointed Acting-Com-missioner." Mr H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labour Party) asked whether it could be taken that Sergeant Bonisch would be reinstated. Mr Cobbe replied that it would be for tho new Commissioner to decide, but he gave an assurance that Sergeant Bonisch would be dealt with fairly.