Truth exposed

THE EDITOR: At a recent Parliament meeting of a joint select committee, statements were made by someone who claimed to be a security consultant from Tobago, and then Harold Phillips, the present deputy Commissioner of Police. They both made some interesting comments in their capacity as members of a government-appointed audit committee to improve the Police Service.

They both said police would only want a police officer to be the Commissioner of Police and that, worldwide, there had been poor success rates of non-police officers being appointed as commissioners.

I thought this very strange, because if the audit committee did such comprehensive research to acquire a poll by TT police officers, many or at least some would have known about this poll conducted, but no one seems to have known about it. Likewise, why would they have conducted research solely on non-police officers worldwide being appointed commissioners? Similar research would have shown many police officers becoming commissioners also not being successful.

The answer came to light a few days ago when the chairman of the Audit Committee Professor Ramesh Deosaran exposed the madness that Harold Phillips and this so-called consultant from Tobago both spoke solely on their own own personal views, as at no time did the committee acquire any data pertaining to this matter.

It is indeed unfortunate that someone who is a deputy police commissioner and vying for the substantive post, could use his position in an audit committee to so mislead the public.

In developed countries had a deputy police commissioner attempted to influence a process by using his post to mislead a nation and parliament, they would have been fired forthwith.

But not here. He might probably be rewarded for his attempt to manipulate and influence a process.

Vindra Doolam via e-mail