POLICE have not yet forwarded reports of their investigation into the missing vehicle at Kukum Traffic Centre last December to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Acting Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau said police are still working on compiling the whole brief of the investigation.
“At this point in time, it has not reached the DPP yet because they are trying compile the whole investigation,” Mr Mangau told reporters at the commissioner’s weekly conference on Thursday.
Mr Mangau said they have to compile the whole brief so that the DPP can have an insight into the investigation before the DPP can sanction the appropriate action.
He said police are also yet to retrieve the RAV4 vehicle.
He added that they are awaiting the cost involved for formalities to be processed before they can retrieve the RAV4.
“Because to retrieve it, we would need contractors who have the facilities to tow it here,” Mr Mangau said.
When asked by a reporter as to why the investigation is taking so long, Mr Mangau said investigations are not that easy and is quite challenging.
He said Police’s Professional Standard and Investigation (PSII) are also involved in other investigations as well.
“With the limited resources they have, they are multi-tasking in other activities.”
Mr Mangau said PSII is also involved in the investigations of the recaptured escapees.
He said the decision from the DPP depends very much on police investigators on how best they provide or compile the final report for the DPP to look at.
“But the investigation is progressing well,” Mr Mangau further added.
The vehicle, a RAV 4 that was involved with an accident with an ambulance from the National Referral Hospital (NRH) at Kukum on 9 September 2019, allegedly went missing last December.
Owners of the RAV 4 went to check on their vehicle on 25 December at the Kukum Traffic Centre compound but the RAV 4 was no longer at the compound.
They asked the officers at the traffic centre of the whereabouts of their vehicle but no one seemed to know.
Following their complaint, an investigation has been carried out which resulted in an officer from the Kukum Traffic Centre being suspended.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
