into non-appearance of Police officers in court cases.

The investigation was launched after Director of Public Prosecutions Khamisi Tokunbo and Acting Senior Magistrate Ed King slammed Police on Thursday for wasting court time.

"My officers (DPP staff) are constantly embarrassed by officers not turning up,'' said Mr. Tokunbo. The DPP suggested that Police are suffering from lack of discipline and said he had written senior officers about the no-show problem, but to no avail.

Mr. Tokunbo made the impromptu comments after Mr King denied the Crown an adjournment on a speeding case when Police officers failed to show up.

Mr. King said the problem of absentee Police witnesses was reaching "epidemic proportions''.

Police responded yesterday that the service also finds non-appearance unacceptable "if the appropriate notification for their appearance has been given''.

In announcing the investigation, Police said Mr. Smith "had also written to the Director of Public Prosecutions requesting details of other recent cases to which the Director referred in a recent televised broadcast.'' The Police response continued: "It is noted that the Acting Senior Magistrate commented that the problem seemed to be confined to `certain officers'. The Service clearly respects the role of the courts and will take necessary steps to ensure that those officers who are properly and adequately notified of their requirement to attend court, do so.'' The investigation will look specifically into why officers did not appear in the "highly publicised'' case -- a speeding incident to which Laurie Furbert, 28, pleaded not guilty.