Contractor denies wrongdoing in squad car mystery

The Laing Group of Companies has distanced itself from any wrongdoing after a decommissioned police squad car was intercepted escorting trucks carrying its heavy machinery on June 24, in Tableland.

In a media statement, the company described a Sunday Newsday story on the issue as "false and baseless."

The article said police believe the company and one of its directors, Damian Laing, could assist in finding out how the car, which had been stored at a scrapyard in Cumuto, ended up as an escort vehicle for the company. It also said former deputy commissioner of police Irwin Hackshaw and the company had a prior business relationship , in whichthe senior officer admitted that he provided security consultancy services for remuneration.

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said last week that the seizure of the car in Tableland had triggered a wider investigation which involved the use of police cars in a jailbreak plot and possibly other serious crimes.

The driver of the car, a civilian, has been charged with uttering forged documents. He claimed to be a police officer.

In the press release, the company said the "context in which those defamatory statements were published include statements published in the said article by the Newsday that unlawful activity was being committed in the use of decommissioned police vehicles which were stored at the Cumuto scrapyard and which were used to escort heavy machinery of contractors and those decommissioned police vehicles were used for criminal activities."

The company said it followed the "established process" to contract the services of the police escort, which included paying a fixed price for the service, and obtaining a receipt from the police.

"The Group of Companies was not responsible for the squad car. This squad car was sent by the TTPS in the normal course of things and the Group of Companies had no reason to question its authenticity or that of the person driving it. The Laing Group of Companies and its director had no role in that process," the statement said.

The company said it has a reputable standing and is one of the leading contracting companies in the country.

It said it has retained the services of former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and intends to initiate legal action, including applying to the High Court for an injunction to prevent the republishing of the information.

On July 1, Newsday sent a series of questions to Damian Laing though the company's business development officer Kyron James seeking comment. There was no response before the publication of the article.

On Tuesday, the police service issued guidelines outlining the process for contractors seeking to a police escort to accompany heavy machinery that they need to move.

Questions sent to Damian Laing:

* Can Mr Damian Laing explain the process of hiring the police escort on that particular day (June 24, 2021)?

* Where was the request made and does he have any documentary proof to support the request?

* Has the Laing Group previously used police escort services when hauling heavy machinery and was PDA 4755 previously used as the escort vehicle?

* Does Mr Damian Laing know former Deputy Commissioner of Police Irwin Hackshaw?

* Has Mr Hackshaw ever provided any business services for the Laing Group when he was employed in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service?

* In the past, Laing Sandblasting Company Ltd, a subsidiary of the Laing Group, has paid Mr Hackshaw substantial sums purportedly for security consultancy services, according to a separate investigation conducted by the Police Complaints Authority.

* Did the company provide any information to the PCA during its investigation to support Mr Hackshaw's claim?