Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Aujourd'hui 04:31

Deosaran: Review structure of Police Service Commission

CRIMINOLOGIST Prof Ramesh Deosaran has said the arrest and detainment of Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher reflects the need to urgently review the administrative and legislative structure of the Police Service Commission (PolSC). Harewood-Christopher, who was appointed TT’s first female police commissioner in February 2023, was arrested on January 30 at her office, Police Administration Building, Sackville Street, Port of Spain. The matter surrounds a criminal investigation into her alleged involvement in the importation of two military-grade sniper weapons for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA). Former SSA head Roger Best also was arrested at his Arima on January 29 in connection with the importation of the high-powered weapons. Best and Harewood-Christopher were released pending further enquiries on February 1. Deosaran, who served as PolSC chairman from 2011-2014, described Harewood-Christopher’s detainment as a “firecracker event with a lot of downstream consequences.” He told Newsday, “It has cast a dark shadow over public confidence in the Police Service because this is a special time where people’s constitutional rights and freedoms are in suspension through the state of emergency (SoE), with specialised emergency powers given to the CoP. So arresting such an officer really shakes up the entire country.” But the former independent senator said there is a broader issue that must be considered. “It is one which I have always pointed out. There is need to remedy, repair and review the administrative and legislative structure of the PolSC, not only for this particular matter, of course, but there have been repeated issues, challenges, delays and very convoluted circumstances because of the very manner in which the PolSC is framed.” Deosaran said although the PolSC has constitutional powers, “at the same time, it is the Prime Minister’s majority in the Parliament who makes the final decision in appointing a commissioner. “And then you have a lingering clause in the Police Service Act, which allows the Cabinet to extend the tenure of a CoP.” He believes that in a democracy, the public’s interest must be served through proper information from the authorities. “So you cannot have such duplication of authority with the Parliament majority having a say in extending the tenure of the commissioner and at the same time, telling the PolSC in the Constitution, it has powers to appoint. “We need all these things to be remedied. Some at the ground level, some are higher up. But we need a studied analysis from the government, Opposition and Parliament to bring remedy to what I think is a situation with many gaps and loopholes so far.” On the investigation, Deosaran advised all of the relevant agencies – the Police Service, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, PolSC – to respond with the required urgency. “The roles may be different but they should be sequenced in a proper, lawful way.” The commission, he said, must be especially meticulous “in moving into this scenario.” He advised its leadership to “seek proper legal advice rather than appearing to be judge, jury and executioner. “I would suggest that they consult with Mr Russell Martineau, SC, as I have done when I was chairman because there could be an unwitting, unexpected clash between what the police investigations are about and what the PolSC would seek to do.” Deosaran continued, “This is not only a legal matter. This matter raises constitutional and political issues. So in that context, having had the experience as chairman of the PolSC, I would move cautiously but very intently in trying to seek the best outcome for this matter. “At the same time, I would want to ensure that the CoP, in the circumstances, given the serious allegations for high-powered guns and ammunition, be given all due process privileges and we expect that there should be hard evidence in pursuing the allegations by the police. But we are not in a good place. We are in a bad place. That is about as far as I can go without undue speculation.” Meanwhile, retired assistant CoP William Nurse has described the handling of the police investigation into the alleged incident as “the worst I have ever seen.” [caption id="attachment_1136514" align="alignnone" width="759"] Retired assistant commissioner of police William Nurse - File Photo[/caption] In a post on his Facebook page on February 1, he wrote, “When you have matters like this which allegedly occurred in 2023 and you are now going to the alleged offender, the investigator should be ready for three events – the interview, to consult and to charge. To keep the CoP in custody for this long leaves the public to come to one conclusion, this is designed to embarrass.” Nurse recalled the Prime Minister’s recent statement in which he noted the commission’s view that it cannot appoint a CoP once there is a sitting one. “Could this be a move to have the CoP removed from office to facilitate this process? Sometimes we do the right thing in the wrong way. This is like using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut. “I condemn the police approach to this matter. I ask, can the TTPS lift its head after this? If it can, it will take time but do they have such time. I cannot help but end on that note.”   The post Deosaran: Review structure of Police Service Commission appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.