Colleague: ASP Sooker a good cop

DESPITE being suspended, Ag ASP Michael Sooker served the police well and was an asset to the North Eastern Division, Snr Supt Surendra Sagramsingh said yesterday.

Sagramsingh told Newsday he did not know how far investigations had progressed, but Sooker had a reputation as a hard-working officer and good supervisor to his subordinates at the Morvant Police Station before the incident.

He was suspended after photos were circulated on social media last week of a scantily-clad woman in the station apparently wearing part of his uniform.

“The thing is,” Sagramsingh added, “morale in the Morvant Police Station will be affected because he was a good supervisor. He was the person who was responsible for operations in the department.

“But at the end of the day, I will have to chat with him, because when things like these happen, action has to be taken.”

Sagramsingh added that he did not know if the woman shown wearing Sooker’s shirt and cap in the photos would be charged and said he was only aware of bits of information available through the media. “I don’t know, because I have never seen the woman before. As much as we hear these things, the Professional Standards Bureau will look at the reasons that someone might do this.”

He said despite the publicity attracted by the incident, there has been no unnecessary scrutiny by senior officers in the service of their subordinates and the police standing orders and policies should be enough to ensure that officers of all ranks observe the law.

Newsday also spoke to vice president of the Police Social and Welfare Association Inspector Anand Ramesar who said investigators were reviewing video footage of the Morvant Police Station to determine when the woman visited the office and who she arrived and left with.