’I hope that citizens of this country – like myself – have great confidence in the police force. And as I've said several times, naturally we will assist the police as best we can. We have provided them with the information we have. I've said - like the chairman of the foreign policy committee - that if anyone has information, to shed a light on this matter, I think that they should go to the police,’ Minister of Defence Søren Gade said yesterday. A point he maintains today at an open asking time with the joint opposition.
The minister was asked what information he had given to the police.
’Among other things the lists with the group of people, who had information before the meeting in the foreign policy committe in 2007. That was what was laid as a basis for the consultation, now given to the police,' he elaborates about the long list of people within the Ministry of Defence and its affiliate personnel institutions who knew about the covert mission.
Minister Søren Gade was then asked if it wasn't best if his chief press officer was relieved of duty during this investigation.
’Like elsewhere, we have no double standards in the Ministry of Defence. And in all other connections, both journalists and politicians claim that a person is innocent till the opposite is proven,' he maintained, until further standing by his press officer.
Paradoxical News wondered if a political paradox with these national security implications is to be left to a police investigation alone, and at that left to one police officer as the story goes, and so asked the de facto PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen (V):
PN: How can you live with the fact that this matter is to be left to a common police investigation - and as such not under witness liability?
’We rely on the police to investigate these matters. A leak from the foreign policy committe is an action liable to punishment. It is an offence of the penal code. And it is a police matter to uncover. Apart from that I have to refer to the Minister of Defence...,’ de facto PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen responded.
PN: Shouldn't the investigation be carried out by the judge advocate - where questioning of the sources is carried out under witness liability?
’I have to refer to the Minister of Defence for an account of this matter. I can only say that DR is running stories about this day after day, more than insinuating that an employee at the Ministry of Defence has done something illegal. If that is the situation, actions should be taken. And the ones who have proof should lay it out openly. Anything else is indecent,’ the de facto PM Løkke Rasmussen maintains.
PN also asked the Søren Espersen (O) from The Danish People's Party in his capacity of member of the foreign policy committee.
PN: If the matter and the tape recording is subject to a civil case why should the tape be produced here, is that reasonable?
’No, but many people and the media are debating this issue. It is not reasonable that we are to wait for maybe fifteen or eighteen months, before we have a resolution. So if someone has the proof of someone who comitted a criminal act, they should go to the police with it. I think that this is the duty one has,' was the opinion of Søren Esperson (O).
PN: But is it satisfactory with a common police investigatioin which is not carried out under witness liability?
’A police investigatioin may not be under witness liability, but I still think that it is fair enough for the police to investigate the tape recording. That should be fine,’ Søren Esperson refrained from demanding any further internal legal investigation in the Ministry of Defence.
Here it comes, here comes the paradox: As Winther-Gate has turned into Gade-Gate, Paradoxical News wonders if a national security leak is in the hands of a single police officer? It would seem that PN will never run out of news stories to cover.
For an update and further information, please see:
http://paradoxicalnews.blogspot.com/2010/01/defense-in-shambles.html
http://www.dr.dk/nettv/update/?video={db2f2b7f-0ad4-4dbc-8294-2cb193befa4c}