UNC: Is witness protection programme working?

UNC policy and strategy officer Sean Sobers is calling on both the National Security Minister and Acting Commissioner of Police to give the status of the witness protection programme.

He made the call following the murders of two state witnesses, Jehlano Romney and Mark Rene Mohammed, in recent weeks.

Speaking at the UNC’s weekly Sunday media conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader in Port of Spain, Sobers said it was essential for witnesses to come forward in criminal matters.

“These are individuals who have had the bravery to do the right thing, to come forward and say, 'I’ve seen something, I’m minded to say something.'

"It is essential for criminal prosecution that witnesses come forward, indicate what they’ve seen, and that an opportunity is given for defence counsel to cross-examine them.

"The detection rate is abysmally low and for those who have to go through the system, you need these witnesses and forensic evidence to build an airtight case so there can be convictions."

Sobers said when there is a disconnect between witnesses and forensic evidence, the police will lose the matters before the court.

He asked why the two men were not offered witness protection when they were both witnesses to significant incidents including the shooting death of a policeman for which two police officers were charged.

“Under the PNM, witness protection is a quasi-arrangement between the National Security Ministry and the police service.

"You have people coming to give evidence and information about illegal and illicit activity and individuals, and you don’t want the police 100 per cent involved because there are one or two bad eggs, so to ensure there is protection for these witnesses, the arrangement is that the police don’t fully engage them.

“There are two offices in Port of Spain and San Fernando, and the north office operates out of a particular area, it’s not operating out of a police station because you want to keep the activities there clandestine, safe, secure for the witnesses.

"But in San Fernando the place was too dilapidated, and rather than treat with the situation, you have them operating out of a police station, so everyone who passes through that police station knows those people belong to witness protection, and if one illicit individual has a hook into a police officer, he can get that information and kill that witness.”

Sobers said he had been reliably informed that the witness protection programme was under-resourced. He claimed being told that the equipment being used was outdated, the officers had insufficient training, and the vehicles used to transport the witnesses were 12 to15 years old.

“The houses people are kept are not properly provided for, not well-resourced, it’s not like what you see on TV, no steel doors, no alarm systems, no security cameras.

"Police officers have to use tactics on their own to protect the witnesses. They don’t have tea, water, toilet paper, the witnesses are provided with a stipend and have to buy these things for the house, and if the stipend runs out, the police officers have to buy things for the house out of their salaries.”

He said the repatriation agreements with some countries were no longer in place, and in others, the condition was unsatisfactory.

He claimed TT's relationship with these counterpart agencies have broken down within the last seven years.

"We want this to be fixed so that when people come forward and are in the custody of the State, they will be comforted and protected.”

Acting Commissioner of Police Mc Donald Jacob told Newsday on Sunday that Romney had been offered witness protection twice but refused.

“Snr Supt Singh of Homicide Division stated clearly that they had offered protection to Romney and he refused. The person who continued the investigation, Snr Supt Chandoo, also stated at the end of the investigation, that it was again offered to him and he refused.”

Asked if the programme was under-resourced, Jacob said he would prefer not to respond to Sobers’ statements.

“I don’t comment on how our witness programme is, that is confidential. They can say whatever they wish.

"What I can tell you is that the police service has a witness protection programme that has been running for years and it is still in existence, and we have people who are in the programme and things are working fairly well,” Jacob said.