Scottish First Minister John Swinney met with the family of Sheku Bayoh on Thursday, assuring them the public inquiry into Bayoh's death will continue despite recent turmoil. The 31-year-old father of two died in May 2015 after being restrained by around six police officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
The inquiry was thrown into chaos last month when its chairman, Lord Bracadale, resigned. Senior and junior counsel to the inquiry quit two days later. The Scottish Police Federation had questioned Bracadale's impartiality and called for a Fatal Accident Inquiry instead.
Bayoh's sister Kadi Johnson, who attended the meeting with her husband Ade and lawyer Aamer Anwar, expressed determination after a decade-long fight. «We've gone 10 years now, so I want to see the end of this,» she said. «I need answers, that's why I've fought for justice all this while.»
Lawyer condemns police federation
Anwar sharply criticized what he called a «bizarre press conference» held by the Scottish Police Federation earlier this month, where former officer Nicole Short spoke publicly about the incident. He accused the federation of having «smeared, lied and distorted the facts to criminalise, stereotype and negate Sheku's right to life.»
The lawyer said «dinosaurs» at the federation deny institutional racism and live in a «parallel universe.» He emphasized that 122 days of evidence have already been taken. «We don't need to reinvent the wheel,» Anwar said.
Government commits to new chair
Swinney rejected the federation's call for a Fatal Accident Inquiry. «During the meeting I reiterated the Scottish Government's commitment to establishing the relevant facts surrounding Mr Bayoh's death,» he said in a statement. The First Minister confirmed that appointing a new chair is an «immediate priority» and the work is «taking place at pace» under the Deputy First Minister.
In 2019, then Lord Advocate James Wolffe determined a Fatal Accident Inquiry would not suffice to investigate all serious issues, including institutional racism accepted by two chief constables and post-incident management by Police Scotland and the Crown Office.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
