[UPDATED] Not one of my men

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith on Sunday said it was a soldier and not a police officer who was seen in a video allegedly removing evidence during a raid at a house in La Horquetta. He said the officer has been identified.

Footage posted by a media house on Saturday night showed an officer wearing a ski mask and tactical gear removing an envelope from a room and hiding it in his bulletproof vest, during a raid at the home of Drug Sou-Sou administrators last Tuesday.

Griffith told Newsday while he could not give details on the nature of the investigation or whether anyone has been questioned about the footage, he confirmed the soldier in question has been identified.

He also said while the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) will not be investigating the soldier, they will be involved in the process.

“He (soldier) is going to be investigated just like any other citizen of this country. There is no specific type of officer or investigator that is required.

“The PSB is also investigating because police officers were also on the scene and it was also a police operation, so the PSB is involved to ensure no police officers may have been affiliated with any action that could have been seen as removing evidence.”

Asked about allegations that a pregnant woman was assaulted by a SORT officer during the raid, Griffith declined comment.

It was originally reported that the man shown in the video was a police officer, but a police media release earlier on Sunday denied these claims, saying he was a member of the defence force.

In the release, Griffith hit back at critics of the raid accusing them of using diversionary tactics to overlook the findings of the exercise and vowed to investigate anyone who is accused of wrongdoing.

“It seems we have hit a nerve with the exposure of this $22 million in cash. They are trying to divert attention away from the issue and to force the police to back off, but I want to assure you that the police will be investigating police officers and other members of the protective services, whom it may appear, are heavily involved in this matter.

“As long as I sit in the chair of Commissioner of Police, a badge or a uniform won’t protect you from wrongdoing. I am doing all that I can to save this country, but it seems that some deliberately do not want this country to be saved.”

In the media release, Griffith defended the seizure of $22 million in cash that was found at the house and called on participants of the “sou-sou” to produce receipts and other supporting documents if they felt wronged.

“One must show source of funds, then we would investigate how and when each person who deposited such cash, acquired such cash to give to this legitimate business called – what was it again? Oh yes – DRUGS Sou. Interesting name.

“One also has to look at the quantum of money stored, and which reasonable, honest person would believe that $22 million stacked in a house is no cause for reasonable suspicion, as well as the manner in which the money was stacked, being under beds, in cardboard boxes, and on shelves.”

Newsday attempted to contact Chief of Defence Staff Air Cmdr Darryl Daniel for comment but was unsuccessful.

Contacted for comment, National Security Minister Stuart Young said while he understood the matter was the subject of a police investigation, he was concerned over the developments surrounding the issue and discussed the situation at length with the heads of the protective services in a meeting.

“As the Minister of National Security, I chaired a meeting yesterday (Saturday) with the police, TTDF and intelligence services.

“The focus of the meeting was to discuss the developments surrounding the DSS scheme. I was informed that there are ongoing investigations. I will continue to monitor the situation as I am concerned about the various implications from a national security perspective.”

This story was originally published with the title "CoP: Soldier in La Horquetta raid footage identified" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith on Sunday says it was a soldier and not a police officer who was seen in a video allegedly removing evidence during a raid at a house in La Horquetta. He said the officer has been identified.

Footage posted by a media house on Saturday night showed an officer wearing a ski mask and tactical gear removing an envelope from a room and hiding it in his bulletproof vest, during a raid at the home of Drug Sou-Sou administrators last Tuesday.

Griffith told Newsday while he could not give details on the nature of the investigation or whether anyone has been questioned about the footage, he confirmed the soldier in question has been identified.

He also said while the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) will not be investigating the soldier, they will be involved in the inquiry.

"He (soldier) is going to be investigated just like any other citizen of this country. There is no specific type of officer or investigator that is required.

"The PSB is also investigating because police officers were also on the scene and it was also a police operation, so the PSB is involved to ensure no police officers may have been affiliated with any action that could have been seen as removing evidence."

Asked about allegations that a pregnant woman was assaulted by a SORT officer during the raid, Griffith declined comment.

It was originally reported that the man shown in the video was a police officer, but a police media release earlier on Sunday denied these claims, saying he was a member of the defence force.

In the release, Griffith hit back at critics of the raid accusing them of using diversionary tactics to overlook the findings of the exercise and vowed to investigate anyone who is accused of wrongdoing.

"It seems we have hit a nerve with the exposure of this $22 million in cash. They are trying to divert attention away from the issue and to force the police to back off, but I want to assure you that the police will be investigating police officers and other members of the protective services, whom it may appear, are heavily involved in this matter.

"As long as I sit in the chair of Commissioner of Police, a badge or a uniform won’t protect you from wrongdoing. I am doing all that I can to save this country, but it seems that some deliberately do not want this country to be saved."

In the media release, Griffith defended the seizure of $22 million in cash that was found at the house and called on participants of the "sou-sou" to produce receipts and other supporting documents if they felt wronged.

"One must show source of funds, then we would investigate how and when each person who deposited such cash, acquired such cash to give to this legitimate business called - what was it again? Oh yes - DRUGS Sou. Interesting name.

"One also has to look at the quantum of money stored, and which reasonable, honest person would believe that $22 million stacked in a house is no cause for reasonable suspicion, as well as the manner in which the money was stacked, being under beds, in cardboard boxes, and on shelves."