Jacob denies Griffith's claim of politically-motivated investigations

ACTING Police Commissioner Mc Donald Jacob is denying allegations by his predecessor that Jacob appointed a junior officer to investigate Gary Griffith on orders from the political directorate.

In a telephone interview with Newsday on Friday, Jacob said he is not aware of any police investigation against Griffith, who is the immediate former police commissioner.

Griffith wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Police Service Commission (PSC), the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), and the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB), calling for these entities to investigate how a selected police constable was investigating him, and other issues which he found troubling.

The letters asked for the Prime Minister to be questioned to determine if any junior police officer met with senior government officials in the Diplomatic Centre or the PM's residence in relation to an investigation in which Griffith is the subject.

Griffith is asking for investigators to determine from Jacob whether the head of the PSB is being bypassed and whether Jacob is liaising with the junior officer in order to expedite charges against Griffith.

Griffith also wants former members of the PSC to be interviewed to ascertain if ex-chairman Bliss Seepersad suspended him without the approval of the other PSC members; if the past PSC failed to reappoint Griffith as directed; and whether that PSC board received selected names to investigate from a politician.

“A clandestine unit (has been) appointed to meet to see if anything can be found to have me arrested. My reliable sources within the TTPS have revealed that there is a unit, established for several months, assigned to do nothing other than to come to work daily and see what they can trump up, contrive or package to have me arrested as directed, regardless of whether the charges can hold, as the intention is to specifically to smear my character for political benefit,” Griffith claimed in his letters.

In response to the claims, Jacob told Newsday the police service does not operate in the way Griffith is alleging.

“Maybe that is how it was when he was there. But the PSB is headed by a senior superintendent and an investigation happened without her knowledge? He feels the police service is some parlour in Maraval?

"There are several investigations ongoing by the PSB with contributions from other units, because we have a multi-unit approach now,” Jacob said.

Newsday contacted the junior officer named by Griffith as being the one leading investigations on behalf of politicians. She flatly denied his allegations.

“I am a duly appointed police officer and investigations are part of my duty. Anything further will have to come from the police service corporate communications,” she said.