CoP: POLITICIANS CAN’T INSTRUCT ME

COMMISSIONER of Police Gary Griffith has come out firing after both the Prime Minister and an Opposition MP both questioned the closure of two highly controversial cases, that were being investigated by police.

A day after Griffith chaired a press conference on Wednesday at which it was announced that the police investigation into the Cambridge Analytica data mining case, raised by government against the Opposition, was declared closed, Prime Minister Dr Rowley took to his Facebook page.

“I presume that the authorities in the British Parliament and the US Congress are delirious and the Trinidad mentioned in all these proceedings is not a real place but a location in a movie on Netflix and all the subject of someone’s imagination.” Griffith was quick to respond.
“They have to be delirious. Because up to now, the same US Congress and UK Parliament cannot provide one piece of evidence to show that this took place. I work on facts and evidence. Not comments by persons in any Parliament.”

At the same press conference on Wednesday, it was announced that the police investigation into allegations by Oropouche East MP, Dr Roodal Moonilal, of a Govt parliamentarian being involved in an illegal wire transfer of money in Miami, was closed, Moonilal later that day expressed doubt.

CLOSED OR NOT?
Commenting on the closure of the case, Moonilal said he felt the investigation was still active since he was asked by police to come in and sign a statement. Moonilal also claimed investigations were still ongoing in the US.

Griffith responded to Moonilal via a media release, maintaining the independence of the police service as an institution and said politicians ought not instruct the police on what investigations to conduct. “If MP Moonilal has evidence not discovered by the TT and the United States FIUs (Financial Intelligence Units), he is advised to bring it forward,” the top cop said.
In response to Moonilal’s comments about a wire transfer not a bank account being the focus of an ongoing investigation, Griffith in the release, said bank accounts were necessary to reveal who would receive money being wire transferred.

“Once a transfer hits an account, it will show the originator’s account information. So to say one was only looking at bank accounts and not wire transfers is incomprehensible because the transfer has to hit an account,” he said.
Contacted for comment on Thursday, Griffith said while he did not want to comment on the two cases directly, he maintained his stance and insisted there were not sufficient grounds to re-open either cases.

He also accused his “critics” of being mere political sycophants and said while the rest of the country may be divided along lines of race, religion and politics, the police service would not be swayed by political pressure.
“I am amazed to see this country has so much political fanatics. Their views are not based on facts and evidence, it is based on being political supporters. The irony is that the people making accusations on either side, are not criticising the closure of the case that benefits their party, they are only concerned about the other matter that doesn’t involve their party,” he said.

“If there is enough evidence we will reopen the cases but until that time comes where we see that evidence, we cannot go based on what is said in any parliament whether in TT or abroad.” He said reopening the matters would also be costly in terms of resources and finances and he would not do so unless there is enough evidence.

Moonilal also weighed in on Rowley’s Facebook post regarding the Cambridge Analytica investigation. “I have also taken note of a statement by Dr Rowley the Prime Minister. This is the chairman of the National Security Council who is appearing to intimidate and threaten the police service because he doesn’t like the outcome of an investigation.”
Moonilal said it was “unbecoming” of a National Security Council chairman and prime minister to cast aspersions on the work of the police.

“CoP HAS SPOKEN”
“In the matter I was co-operating in, even though I never reported any matter, the police have done their work. If more information comes to light I am sure they would reopen the matter. But it is not for us as leaders and politicians to be condemning the police because we don’t like the outcome of what they have done.”
UNC PRO Anita Haynes said the party thanked the police for their speedy work in closing the Cambridge Analytica investigation.

“Politicians are citizens so they can raise a matter to take to the police, but in terms of directing a police investigation, we hope that absolutely no one can do that.” She sought to remind the population that Government MPs, during cross-talk kept telling Opposition members, “we will lock you up.”
“We raise caution about this toxic narrative. No politicians can direct the work of the TT police service.” She added that the UNC is a strong advocate for an independent police service.

Political analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath said on Thursday that the police commissioner is right in saying no one can tell him what to investigate and added if he (Griffith) believes an investigation has gone as far as it can be pursued, then that is that. “Politicians should not be able to tell the police what they should and should not investigate,” Ragoonath said, reiterating, “The Commissioner has spoken.”

Ragoonath said both cases came from political directions and the police service went ahead and investigated. “They have done their due diligence as far as he (Griffith) is concerned.” On the commissioner engaging the prime minister publicly over social media, Ragoonath said, “We are (living) in different times.”

“This particular commissioner has adopted certain practices he alone could account for and respond to. I will not comment on whether it is right to rebut a politician. But I know for a fact that (the Commissioner) has treated with any criticism in a particular way. And I don’t expect this to change.”