Moonilal: Hinds compromised police, prisons services

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal has accused the National Security Minister of compromising two independent institutions by making "a politically partisan address" at a recent function.

The Opposition MP charged that Fitzgerald Hinds delivered a "flamingly biased and opinionated" speech at a state event in which he sat between Prisons Commissioner Dennis Pulchan and DCP McDonald Jacob.

Moonilal called on Hinds to apologise to both leaders, adding if he failed to do so, it would confirm his intent to weaken the country’s law-enforcement organisations.

On Tuesday, at a press conference at the Police Administration Building in San Fernando, Hinds once again said his ministry fully supports the prison service in dealing with criminality in and out of the prisons.

He referred to the recent murders of prison officers Trevor Serrette, 48, and Nigel Jones, 38, both of whom worked at the Wayne Jackson Building at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca.

Hinds said he considered the murders attacks on the State and warned that all arms of the protective services are on high alert.

Moonilal referred to Hinds's remarks as a gross example of impropriety and misconduct.

"The Prisons and Police Services are critical institutions of law and order and must be respected as fiercely independent and politically impartial," he said in a release on Wednesday.

Moonilal considered Hinds’s remarks a "political bleating" saying they were the latest coarse example of the PNM Government undermining and destabilising crucial non-partisan agencies.

The Opposition MP threw jabs at the Government, saying it intends to undermine all such agencies.

Moonilal condemned Hinds for his "pure politicking" and "blatant attempt to damage and demoralise the prison and police services" on behalf, he said, of all patriotic citizens.