THE Fiji Police Force will be allowed to recruit an “informer”, states the draft Police Bill 2020.
An “informer” is described as “any person who, whether formally recruited by police or otherwise, provides information in relation to anything sought by police for any lawful purpose”.
The draft law also states the informer will have a “handler” who will be any police employee “who has recruited any informer to provide information in relation to anything sought by him or her for any lawful purpose”.
It will be a crime to identify an informer or an undercover police employee and anyone found guilty can be sentenced to imprisonment not exceeding 15 years.
The courts will also be required to safeguard the identity of the informer and undercover police employee.
“If any record which is in evidence or liable to inspection in any proceedings contains an entry in which any such informant or an undercover police employee is named or described or which might lead to his or her discovery, the court must cause all such entries to be concealed from view or to be obliterated so far as may be necessary to protect the information or such person from discovery.”
A person will also commit a crime for seeking “retribution” against an informer and an undercover police employee.
