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Some police forces in England and Wales did not follow Covid rules, say inspectors

Report finds forces operated regimes contrary to national guidance or may have broken the law England
Some police forces in England and Wales did not follow self-isolation rules after staff came into contact with someone who had coronavirus symptoms, according to inspectors.
Amid “confusion” over the requirements and concerns about the “potential adverse effect of losing resources”, some instigated their own regimes that were contrary to national guidance or may have broken the law, a report found.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services said some forces “did not appear to follow the national requirement for self-isolating for test, track and trace”.
Its latest report said: “Forces sometimes saw self-isolation as unnecessary and possibly resulting in relatively large numbers of staff being told to isolate within some teams.
“Some forces therefore created their own systems to reduce self-isolation for staff not displaying symptoms, contrary to national guidance.
“We also heard about force policies where senior officers did risk assessments to circumvent the need to self-isolate. This was after staff told them they had received a direction from the app or the national contact tracing service to self-isolate.
“Again, this was contrary to national guidance and, in the case of a direction from the NHS contact trace service, a criminal offence under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020.”The findings, from an inspection carried out between March and November last year, urged forces to immediately put in place policies to address the situation, adding: “Forces must follow the guidance and self-isolation directions when members of the workforce come into contact with someone with coronavirus symptoms.”
The report also found “some forces increased the number of crimes they decided not to investigate because they were unlikely to be solved, and reduced their in-person visits to registered sex offenders”, to reduce the risk of infection.
While these may have been “sensible decisions” at the start of the outbreak, concerns were raised at the impact these measures could have on victims, it said.
While this prevented “workloads becoming unmanageable, allowing more time to concentrate on more serious offences and those with clear lines of inquiry”, inspectors said they had “concerns about the possible detrimental effect for victims resulting from any changes in approach, especially at a time of changes in demand.
“Any changes in decisions about whether to investigate offences with viable lines of inquiry or named suspects would be especially worrying.”
Inspectors asked forces to keep any such changes under review and consider the effect this could have on the public before deciding whether to adopt any of them permanently.
Overall, police were praised for their efforts in enforcing coronavirus lockdown rules at short notice. But inspectors did acknowledge officers “faced an extremely difficult situation of fast-paced announcements”. This sometimes led to confusion over the difference between legislation and government guidance, with the inspectorate stressing that the police can only enforce legislation.
This “affected the police service’s ability to produce guidance and to brief staff” and “inevitably led to some errors or inconsistencies in approach”, the report said, as it highlighted examples that prompted criticism for being “heavy handed”.
These included incidents where road-checks were carried out to identify unnecessary journeys, drone surveillance and police action in relation to non-essential shopping and what was thought to be excessive exercise. England
The report added: “In this context, policing at all levels did very well to operate coherently and to maintain public support.”
Matt Parr, the inspector of constabulary, said: “Overall, the police rose to the challenge with dedication and commitment by taking immediate and decisive action to keep people safe and prevent crime, while also learning lessons from the rare occasions that they got it wrong.”
Martin Hewitt, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said the report recognised the past 12 months had been “one of the biggest challenges to face modern policing, and that the service has stepped up and met that challenge head on”.
He added: “We haven’t always got things right straightaway, and we have sought throughout the pandemic to learn as we go and improve the service we provide.” England
source: Maciek Musialek
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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