Griffith contract sent to Cabinet

UPDATE:

THE contract for Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith is expected to be vetted by the Cabinet when it meets today. Once the terms and conditions of the contract are approved by Cabinet, Gary Griffith will start work officially next week Friday, one day after he returns home from a trip abroad.

Well placed sources yesterday said Griffith’s contract has been finalised and negotiations completed. All that is needed now is the Cabinet’s nod. Griffith received his contract last Friday which led to negotiations between himself and permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security Vel Lewis.

Yesterday, Lewis told Newsday, “I cannot say when he will officially take up duty. I do not want to pre-empt how soon everything should be finalised, but we are close to settling the matter.” He said the Director of Personnel Administration (DPA) was not involved.
Contacted yesterday, Griffith said: “The negotiations from my end will be very simple and straightforward.” Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi was asked yesterday by Newsday if he will be vetting the contract before it goes to Cabinet.

He said under the last administration, attorney general Anand Ramlogan was assigned to negotiate the contracts for police commissioner Dwayne Gibbs and deputy commissioner Jack Ewatski, both Canadians.
“The process of perfecting the contract between the Commissioner of Police and the Ministry of National Security is that the offer and acceptance is taken to Cabinet via the line minister, who in this case is Stuart Young, Minister of National Security.

“This process is necessary because the commissioner is coming from outside of the Police Service. Had it been he came from within the ranks, the standard terms and conditions prescribed by the SRC (Salaries Review Commission) would have comprised the terms and conditions of the contract,” Al-Rawi said.

Sources said yesterday that Griffith will be paid between $60,000 and $70,000 a month and receive a number of perks including a housing allowance. Gibbs earned $120,000 a month. Sources added that acting Commissioner Stephen Williams will go on ten days’ leave from next Friday, the day Griffith is expected to take up the position.

When Williams returns he will revert to his substantive post of Deputy Commissioner and will go on pre-retirement leave on September 19. Williams, who has accumulated close to two years’ vacation, will turn 58 next week.

The National Security Ministry, in a press release issued on Tuesday, erroneously stated in a caption for one of three photos attached, that deputy commissioner Harold Phillip was currently acting as Police Commissioner.

ORIGINAL STORY:

New Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith is expected to take up official duties next Friday, one day after his return from a trip abroad.

A national security source today said Griffith’s three-year contract has been finalised and negotiations completed.

The contract has to be vetted and approved by Cabinet.

Griffith received his contract last Friday which led to negotiations between himself and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security.

Commissioner Griffith has already stated publicly that his decision to apply for the post of Commissioner was not for monetary gains but he has insisted that he wanted to give back to the country and earning a high salary is not a priority at this time.

Yesterday Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security Vel Lewis confirmed that Griffith’s contract and negotiations to seal the deal is nearing completion.

He said “We are close to finalising the contract, we have been in negotiations with the new Commissioner but I cannot say when he will officially take up duties. I do not want to preempt how soon everything should be finalised, but we are close to settling the matter.”

He said that the Director of Personnel Administration (DPA) was not involved in finalising the contract for Griffith.

Lewis said he preferred not to say anything further on the matter.