The High Command of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has sought to distance itself from the circulation of alleged information regarding the Dexter Pottinger case on social media.
Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay, head of the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), was cautious not to mention the actual statements, but said the police are incorrectly identified as the source of them.
She said the information, which was brought to the police’s attention by concerned persons who knew Pottinger, was in the form of a WhatsApp message.
“It was important for us to make it known very early that if anybody gets it, it did not come from us,” she said.
Lindsay noted that information being circulated on social media can prejudice or hamper investigations into the case.
“You wouldn’t want information to get out into the public domain prior to a trial, especially when you have a suspect in custody who is likely to be charged. So you wouldn’t want the investigation to be out there prior to the trial,” she said.
She said depending on where the information originates from, persons may face sanctions if they post or share misleading information.
“It’s something that we have to look out to see the extent to which it could damage the case, and a fine would be dependent on where it is coming from,” Lindsay said.
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