Griffith slams uncooperative Defence Force

Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith.  - ROGER JACOB
Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith. - ROGER JACOB

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith yesterday blamed the Defence Force (TTDF) for the delay in closing investigations into claims that Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s children were allowed at the Cumuto military base and allowed to wielf military weapons.

At the weekly police press briefing yesterday at police administration building in Port of Spain, Griffith said official correspondence was sent to successive heads of the Defence Force, but to date, no response was given by the TTDF.

“This is unfortunate and totally unacceptable. We have asked for information that could assist us to deal (with) and close a matter, and it has not been dealt with,” Griffith said. He stated that in the process of wrapping up the investigation, another letter will be sent to the Chief of Defence Staff.

“We will be asking for the contents of that board of enquiry and I give the assurance to the public that this matter will be closed, one way or the other.” The investigation centres on an incident that occurred in 2015. Photos were circulated of children holding high-powered assault rifles at a military base. They were said to be the children of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.

Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, who first brought the issue to the public’s attention back in 2016, yesterday said it was disturbing that the TTPS has encountered such difficulty in attaining information on this matter from the TTDF.

In October 2016, Moonilal raised concerns in the Parliament over photos purportedly of Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s son and daughter posing with high powered rifles at the army base.

Former chief of defence staff, now retired Maj General Rodney Smart who is now head of the ODPM, said, “The Defence Force is always in readiness to assist and support the police.”

He added that the current chief of defence staff will have to speak to the claims of uncooperativeness made by Griffith. Efforts to reach current Chief of Defence Staff, Air Commodore Darryl Daniel, for a comment yesterday were unsuccessful.

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