West Kingston Enquiry: Gov't official says Office of the Public Defender document fake

The West Kingston Commission of Enquiry heard evidence today that a document presented by the Office of the Public Defender indicating that Governor General Sir Patrick Allen gave consent to a state of emergency more than a week before the 2010 police-military operations in Tivoli Gardens is fake.

The document in question is purported to be a proclamation by Sir Patrick on May 13, 2010 declaring a limited state of emergency in sections of the Corporate Area.

It also formed part of the public defender’s interim report on the conduct of the operations, which was submitted to the House of Representatives. 

However, testifying before the three-member panel today, supervisor at the Government Printing Office, Demsha Thompson, said the proclamation declaring the statement of emergency in 2010 was issued on May 23 and gazetted a day later.

Thompson said a thorough check has revealed that the document dated May 13, 2010 was a counterfeit which also contained several inaccuracies.

As an example, he says the document  refers to the Governor General as Professor Sir Patrick Allen, but adds that as far as he is aware the current Sir Patrick was never a professor.