The Home Affairs Committee is to appoint an investigator from another police force to look into a complaint against Mr Kitchen and superintendent Liam Johnson which it said may constitute misconduct if proved.
The complaint was made by an unnamed member of the public and alleges that senior officers covered up the real reason for his removal from an approved list of interpreters used by police.
Home Affairs, which is known as the ‘appropriate authority’ in the police complaints law, wrote to the complainant on Tuesday to advise that it was calling in an independent investigator, but when contacted by the Guernsey Press yesterday Mr Kitchen revealed that he was yet to be notified.
‘I obviously cannot comment on a live complaint, both for procedural reasons and, more specifically in this case, because I have not yet been served with an official notice detailing the nature of the complaint,’ said Mr Kitchen.
‘While I was made aware a possible complaint was being considered, I have had no official notification as required under Regulation 7 of the Police Complaints Law.
‘Contact to me from a member of the public and now the Guernsey Press appears to have come before I was afforded the process and protection, as outlined in law, by the appropriate authority.
‘I want to be clear – I support the need for the complaint to be considered for investigation. However, I do have serious questions about the application of the process and communication. I would expect to be treated with the same due process I insist on for others.’
The alleged blunder will do nothing to ease relations between Mr Kitchen and Home Affairs which have become increasingly strained since his arrival in the island 18 months ago.
Senior police officers in the UK are used to reporting to elected officials, such as local police and crime commissioners or the Home Secretary, and Mr Kitchen is understood to have become increasingly frustrated by the interference of a small number of senior civil servants whose roles would have nothing to do with policing in other jurisdictions.
He now reports directly to Home Affairs president Deputy Marc Leadbeater and his committee, as well as States chief executive Boley Smillie, which has put more distance between the police chief and senior Home Affairs officials than there was under his predecessor Ruari Hardy.
The Home Affairs Committee considered the complaint against Mr Kitchen and Mr Johnson at two meetings last month and decided that the allegation was serious enough to require investigation by a force from outside Guernsey.
But it said there was no reason to suspend the chief officer or superintendent while the investigation was being carried out.
‘As I have maintained since coming into post, I respect and support the right of any member of the public to raise concerns or, if necessary, make an official complaint against any member of Guernsey Police, including against senior officers and me as the chief,’ said Mr Kitchen.
‘I am unwavering in my determination to be upfront and honest with the community. I fully support this gentleman’s right to raise a complaint, and once I know the specific allegations will do my utmost to provide answers to the issues he raises.
‘When I came into post, there were rightly concerns with regards the application of the police complaints law by the force. We have worked hard to improve, and ensure we apply the law fairly and properly in respect of scoping, assessment and notice of investigation.’
Home Affairs is currently carrying out a long-awaited review of the island’s police complaints law and processes and is expected to recommend reforms to the States during the current political term.