Citizens deserve answers in AG probe

The Mississippi Attorney General’s office needs to expedite results of an investigation into purchases allegedly  made by law enforcement officer and sheriff’s candidate Jamie Tedford.

According to our sources, the investigation began when purchases made from the Panola County Co-op late in 2004 were alleged to be unlawful and were recently divulged to city authorities.

Several current deputies were employed at the business that offers feed, seed, fertilizer, pet supplies, plants and clothing.

Batesville Police Chief Tony Jones turned the investigation over to the Attorney General’s office during the first week of June.

Panola Countians were in a similar situation when an investigation occurred during the last sheriff’s election. After initially being encouraged by the Attorney General’s office to “call back,” our calls were later not returned. Results of any investigation were never officially released.

Months later we learned that the investigation went cold when it was learned that nothing new was happening at the jail facility and if a nitpicking investigator wanted to find wrongdoing, there was plenty to go around – even to the well-connected.

Regarding the current investigation by the Attorney General’s office, the Panolian submitted an open records request to city hall and received in response copies of purchase orders issued by the city to the above mentioned business and copies of invoices generated by those transactions. Those documents in themselves are inconclusive.

Chief Jones stated again Wednesday that the investigative department had turned the matter over to the legal department of the Attorney General’s office.

“We’re waiting on it and when I do hear about it, I will let you know,” Jones stated.

Panola Countians deserve to know about this matter – very soon.