ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — Attorney General Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin has dismissed calls by the main Opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) for Commissioner of Police Wendel Robinson to step down as investigations continued into the alleged sexual misconduct of a police officer involving a minor.

Benjamin said the call made by UPP deputy leader Dr Jacqui Quinn at a news conference on Monday was “unwarranted and premature”.

Quinn told reporters that she was also calling on the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Kelvin John, to ensure there is a probe into the allegation and wants Robinson to be suspended “forthwith while the investigation is ensuing”.

Quinn said the UPP was calling on Robinson “to voluntarily step down while this investigation is ongoing”.

She told reporters that in 2014, former Police Commissioner Vere Browne was suspended for not publishing the list of promotions among other allegations.

“We sincerely and respectfully proffer that this saga is adversely impacting the discipline and morale in the police force,” she said, adding “the morale of our police officers will be lowered, confidence in the criminal justice system will be further downgraded and undermined, and confidence in our judiciary will be totally decimated”.

But Benjamin said that the matters are being investigated and there is no need now to seriously consider the call for the top cop to step down.

“I am satisfied that the police will act in accordance with the law. They are the body charged with the responsibility and I am sure at the end of the day justice will be done. As you can recall, there are several police officers at the moment serving time in her Majesty’s prison. We have no reason to doubt that the police will continue to act in accordance with the law,” Benjamin said on Observer Radio here Tuesday.

Media reports here quoted Police Commissioner of St Vincent and the Grenadines Renold Hadaway as saying that he had received an arrest warrant for a member of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda facing allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor.

The reports here said that the police officer in question is a foreign national, and Benjamin dismissed speculation that his colleagues had facilitated his departure from the island.

“People are always willing to accept rumours. The police are investigating the matter as far as I am aware and I am not in a position to say anything like that. But let us have faith in the police force,” he added.