Moonilal: $10m for no Commissioner of Police

TAXPAYERS have already spent about $10 million on various institutions to “not” appoint a Commissioner of Police, says Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal.

He was speaking on Monday as the House of Representatives considered the nomination of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Harold Phillip for appointment to the office of Commissioner of Police.

Moonilal said the Opposition was hoping government would come with a “flight plan” on the process to appoint a commissioner. “The population don’t know the true thinking on the matter. Just reject, reject, reject.”

He called on Government to embark on a consultative process with the Opposition and other stakeholders. He said it was the duty of Government to indicate what was its position to ending this fiasco and possibly if they had done nothing it could have brought more stability.

“This is destabilising a critical institution.”

He added: “But unless and until the Government wake up to this crisis, ongoing as it will be, and put in place some type of new system legal and policy to end this (it will continue).”

Moonilal said that since 2008 (when Canadians Dwayne Gibbs and Jack Ewatski were appointed as Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner respectively) it has cost taxpayers $10 million not to appoint a Commissioner of Police, and on the last occasion it cost about $3.2 million.

“If this thing continues we can spend a lot of money with absolutely no end in sight.”

Moonilal said on July 6 there was a vote against the CoP but there was no vote taken against the DCPs, and asked why was a name removed from the DCP notification that was properly on the Order Paper.

“That must have been an oversight, a mistake of some kind.”

Moonilal also rejected any attempt to return to the prime minister’s veto of the nomination.

“I do not support any attempt to go back to the future with that archaic approach.”

Barataria MP Dr Fuad Khan in his contribution criticised the Government for bungling the process and opening the State to lawsuits. Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie said the Government wanted to avoid debate on Phillip as happened with DCP Deodat Dulalchan.

“They get catch and try to rationalise the whole process.”

Tabaquite MP Suruj Rambachan said while the debate went on in Parliament the country continued to be under siege. “The only thing that is king is crime.”

He called on Government to sit together with the Opposition and develop a plan to bring the process to an end. -
With reporting by Clint Chan Tack