The Cook Islands Police Commissioner, Pira Wichman, says the former minister of police is taking cheap shots at the force without justification.
Mr Wichman says Peri Vaevae Pare's complaints came after a criminal investigation into his alleged misuse of public funds was launched.
And, he says the criticisms about the police failing to do their job properly and too many of them being in full time training, are unfair.
The commissioner says only six officers out of a force of 100 are studying overseas fulltime while 13 others are doing part-time courses but then coming to work for 8 hours, and two others have taken annual leave to take up carpentry.
Mr Wichman says too many politicians take a negative view only.
"COOKS CHEAP TP"
IN: I think it's quite a cheap attack on the executive because they focussed on only the negative things where there have been failings. But, they also failed to identify that over the period of the last five years, that most of the files have been done, most of the prosecutions that we take to court are successful, and of course, nobody talks about that.
DUR: 17
Cook Islands police commissioner, Pira Wichman.
