CoP candidate Anand Ramesar unfazed by tribunal conviction

CANDIDATE for the post of Police Commissioner, Supt Anand Ramesar says his past internal charges ought not to hinder his chances of leading the police service.

Responding to questions pertaining to his internal charges of 2012, Ramesar said, the three charges cost him 36 days' pay as each charge carried a 12-day pay cut.

“That was cowboy justice from when I was president of the police association,” Ramesar said adding that he wanted to appeal the decision but that would have stunted his promotion from then sergeant to inspector, so he accepted the punishment.

The charge of falsehood was part of requested information given to High Tide Project, a non-profit Caribbean police-reform organisation incorporated in TT, directed by former state prosecutor Lee Merry.

Merry sought information on all police officers who were found guilty of serious disciplinary offences involving dishonesty over the past ten years and were still employed with the police.

According to the data provided, ten officers were found guilty of varying offences. They include, falsehood – which Ramesar was charged with – unnecessary exercise of authority and malingering. Five officers were charged with unnecessary exercise of authority, one for malingering and four for falsehood.

According to Ramesar’s charge, Section 150 2 (e) of the Police Service Regulation stated that the offence is committed if an officer: “knowingly makes or signs a false statement in an official document or book; (ii) wilfully or negligently makes any false, misleading or inaccurate statement; or (iii) without good and sufficient cause destroys or mutilates any official document.”

Ramesar, when asked about the offences and it possibly hurting his chances of becoming top cop, said that will not happen. He was adamant his service will speak for itself and those looking into the matter will see that the charges stemmed from a witch hunt.

“That had internal politics in it. At the time, I was president of the (police service social and welfare) association and one of the three people on the tribunal was a signatory to a petition to have me removed.”

He added that the charge was not a criminal one and there was no justice in how that matter was handled.

He claimed that even before he was found guilty, two of the three members were already boasting that he was going to be found guilty.

Ramesar, who is now in charge of the Court and Process Branch, believes the re-emerging of his case is just a concerted effort to malign him and weaken his chances of being selected for the top cop post.

In a media release on Friday, Merry criticised the police for failing to divulge the names of the officers on the list. He promised to take the matter to court if need be so that the police will be forced to release the identity of the officers. Newsday was able to get an uncensored copy of the list from sources within the police service.

Merry's release stated: “Until the names of the officers are revealed, it will be impossible to know whether the cases include officers who are senior in rank, or who have been promoted despite their disciplinary history. What is certain is that all these officers still work within the TTPS in various unknown capacities.”

However, the TTPS has stated: “We are of the view that the system currently in place provides for the penalisation of officers found guilty of disciplinary offences. The identities of the officers are not of great or any public interest.

"The Commissioner of Police has already, in the administration of the service, sufficiently dealt with the officers in question. Your client’s intention to publicise and/or publish the relevant police officers’ names and regimental numbers will only result in further and inappropriate penalisation for disciplinary offences for which the officers have already been properly disciplined.”