GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 6,

UNCLAS GRENADA 000126 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR USOAS ANDREW STEVENSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC OFDP KCRM UN OAS GJ SUBJECT: GRENADA WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 6, 2008 ¶1. (U) Embassy Grenada's weekly report (GWAR) provides a little detail about events of interest that do not merit longer reporting at this time. ¶2. (U) Begin GWAR text: ¶A. Major Shake-up within RGPF The new Commissioner of Police (COP) announced a major shake-up in the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) as investigations begin into the disappearance of files from the Special Branch. The COP charged that all files from the 16-member department had been destroyed soon after the July 8 general election. The commissioner said that the files may have contained sensitive information ranging from drug matters to reports on the arrival of criminals deported from overseas. The other major changes involve the removal of the entire eight-member Rapid Response Unit and the transfer of a number of senior officers. Others have been sent on leave while an audit is conducted throughout the force. The opposition New National Party (NNP) denied files were destroyed to cover anything up. According to the NNP press release, standard operating procedure was to transfer the information in the files to the unit's computer system. Once the information was in the computer system, the paper file was destroyed. ¶B. GOG Reportedly to Appoint Four Female Ambassadors Four women were apparently chosen by the new Government of Grenada to serve as new Ambassadors. A formal announcement of the picks has not yet been made. However, the lineup previewed in weekly newspaper Grenada Today suggests that Nadia Bishop, the daughter of former slain Revolutionary Prime Minister has been appointed as the Grenada's ambassador to the United Nations; Dr. Dessima Williams who served as OAS ambassador during the 1979-1983 revolution, will return to that position; Marcelle Gairy, daughter of former prime Minister who was ousted in the 1979 coup, will be the new ambassador to China; and Ruth Rouse who was once High Commissioner in London will return there. In addition, High Commissioner to Ottawa, Jenny Coombs is expected to remain in that position. No word yet on who the GOG will name bilateral Ambassador to the United States. ¶C. AG Offers to Drop Case against NDC Attorney General James Bristol apparently sent a letter to the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) attorney offering to drop the case brought against the party on behalf of a Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) officer if the party returned the officer's belongings. The officer was allegedly beaten up by party operatives who also took and kept his wallet, personal cell phone, camera, and tape recorder after he was found listening in on an NDC meeting at the party headquarters from an abandoned adjacent property. He was briefly hospitalized for bruises and contusions after the incident. The AG's offer to drop the case if the items are returned to the officer puts the NDC in the uncomfortable position of having to admit they took them in the first place. The party has insisted since the incident took place that they only took what was theirs. The officer has not commented publicly. MCISAAC