Law Assn: Investigate claims against CoP

THE Law Association is calling for an independent investigation into allegations contained in articles published by the Trinidad Express in which a man claimed that he was assaulted by Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith.

The man at the centre of the articles, 50-year-old Cecil Skeete of Cocorite, has since sworn to an affidavit in which he denies that he was ever physically assaulted or had his life threatened by Griffith while he, Skeete, was detained at the Four Road police station in June.

The newspaper has stood by its initial story published on November 24.

In a statement to the media on Sunday, the association said the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) and/or the Police Service Commission (PSC) must intervene.

“If the story recounted to the journalist is false, that finding needs to be made public and bear the authority of the independent PSC and/or PCA.

”It undermines trust in the police service that serious allegations such as this, especially if false, should continue to hang over the Commissioner's head.”

The association said if the allegations are true, then the PSC and/or PCA must say so and recommend appropriate action. “Impunity on the part of any police officer, and in particular the head of the police service, must under no circumstances be tolerated.”

Calls to the PCA’s director went unanswered.