More Lies From
The British Police
On The de Menezes Murder
By Chris Talbot
25 August 2005
World
Socialist Web
More
evidence has emerged relating to the July 22 police killing of the young
Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes in London, providing further proof
that the police systematically lied about the subway shooting and have
been conducting a cover-up, with the aid of the Labour government of
Prime Minister Tony Blair and a largely compliant media.
Claims that there
were no closed-circuit television tapes of the underground tube station
where de Menezes was shot dead by eight bullets fired at close range
have been refuted by the staff working at the station. According to
Mondays London Evening Standard, the staff were amazed and
furious when told by police that tapes from the cameras were blank.
An official with
the rail workers union said that at least three of the four cameras
were working. It is most unusual to say the least, he said
of the police claims. Normal procedure is that tapes are replaced every
24 hours and kept for 28 days, and it is inconceivable that station
staff would not keep to this procedure shortly after the July 7 bombings
of the capitals transport network that killed 56 people and a
failed attempt to detonate devices on July 21.
Police have claimed
that the stories that were circulated in the aftermath of the event
and used to excuse the killingdid not come from them, although
they did nothing to contradict them. Until exposed as lies by ITV News,
the public had been told that de Menezes had vaulted the ticket barrier
at the station, had run away from the police and was wearing a heavy
coat or jacket that could be concealing bombs. Witnesses were widely
quoted in the press backing up this story, describing de Menezes as
an Asian and even with electric wires poking out of his clothes. In
fact, none of this was true. De Menezes wore a light jacket, used his
pass for the ticket barrier, and moved leisurely into the station.
But ITV News has
now pointed out in a follow-up report that the pathologists report
on de Menezess death, five days after the shooting, referred to
him having vaulted over the ticket barriers and run down
the stairs of the tube station. Harriet Wistrich, the de Menezes family
lawyer, has alleged that this false information in an official document
could only have come from the police.
After ITV news revealed
leaked evidence from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
showing the extent of the lies and cover-up, de Menezess family
and their lawyers demanded the resignation of Metropolitan Police Commissioner
Sir Ian Blair. Much of the media speculated that the revelations could
lead to his resignation.
Not only had the
lies been allowed to circulate in the media, but it also emerged that
Commissioner Blair had attempted to delay the IPCC investigation, so
that it only began taking evidence several days after the killing. Even
more damning was the revelation that the Metropolitan Police, in a visit
by Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates to Brazil, had offered the
de Menezes family a £15,000 ex gratia payment.
According to the
Mail on Sunday, the family had been pressured into meeting Yates without
a lawyer present. De Menezess brother, Giovani, said, They
thought we were poor people, stupid people. We may be poor but we are
not that stupid. We will not exchange money for my brothers lifebut
we will punish them.
The British government
has come to Sir Ian Blairs aid and insisted that he has its backing.
This reinforces the political fact that de Menezes was shot in a cold-blooded
manner to instill fear in the population and implement a shoot-to-kill
policy that had been secretly decided on by Prime Minister Tony Blair
and top officials two years previously. The state execution of de Menezes
marks a watershed in the drive of the British ruling elite, under cover
of the struggle against terrorism, to destroy the democratic rights
of the people and establish the framework for a police state.
Tony Blair is on
holiday, but his press secretary issued statements for two successive
days declaring his complete confidence in Sir Ian. Home Secretary Charles
Clarke and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott have both made statements
giving full support to the commissioner.
The entire spectrum
of official politics in Britain has lined up behind Commissioner Blair
and the government. The Tory opposition spokesperson on homeland security,
Patrick Mercer, gave full support to the police, and no criticism of
the police has emerged from officials in the Labour Party or the Liberal
Democrats.
Londons Labour
Party mayor, Ken Livingstone, could hardly have showered more praise
on Ian Blair, suggesting that the demand for his resignation came from
disgruntled police officers. Here is a radical and reforming commissioner
who is making major changes in the police. He has many enemies in there
who really dont want to see these changes, who want to hold on
to the old ways...and I am sure many of them are taking every chance
here to undermine him, Livingstone told BBC Radio 4s Today
Programme.
The British establishment
is also closing ranks to make sure that no further exposures relating
to the de Menezes murder get into the public domain. Following the pattern
of recent government inquiries, the IPCC investigation will be dragged
for months and will attempt to bury the issue. Richard Latham QC, on
behalf of the IPCC, said that there was only an intention
to report by Christmas. He added, There is no intention on the
part of the IPCC of providing what might be described as a running commentary
on the progress of the investigation.
Using the justification
that there may be criminal proceedings or internal Metropolitan Police
disciplinary proceedings arising out of the IPCCs investigation,
and that the inquest will not be held for another six months, Latham
said that nothing should be disclosed or published which could
prejudice this inquest or any potential criminal or disciplinary proceedings.
Similar tactics
were used in the Hutton inquirythe investigation into the death
of weapons inspector and whistleblower Dr. David Kelly, who exposed
lies used by Prime Minister Tony Blair to drag the country into the
war against Iraq. (See: Britain: Lessons of the Hutton Inquiry.)
Nor has the delegation
from the Brazilian government that has travelled to Britain to investigate
the circumstances of de Menezess killing done anything to challenge
the British polices or the Blair governments role. According
to BBC reports, Brazilian Ambassador Manoel Gomes Pereira said he did
not believe there was a Scotland Yard cover-up and that he completely
trusted the IPCC.