Hinds: Who are the real criminals?

NATIONAL Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds says there are people celebrating the increase in crime every chance they got. He made this statement during debate on a private motion on crime in the House of Representatives on Friday.

Hinds also rejected claims from the Opposition that Government was not providing the police with adequate resources, and interferring in its affairs.

After describing an earlier contribution by Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein as flimsy and uneducated, Hinds said, "There are people in this country, sadly enough, sickly enough, who celebrate crime and celebrate murders when it is happening under some other government."

Looking in the direction of opposition MPs, Hinds said Hosein was unaware that 42 guns went missing from the Forensic Science Centre in St James, "when that (UNC) government was in power."

He then made an observation.

"Everybody talking about crime, crime, crime, but my question like (Jamaican reggae musician) Peter Tosh, in a wonderful song that I love, asked, 'everybody talking about crime but tell me who are the real criminals.'"

Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George overruled an objection from Hosein that Hinds was being irrelevant.

Hinds said, "We have a criminal investigation taking place as we speak in a matter called LifeSport that started when the Member for Siparia (Kamla Persad-Bissessar) was prime minister of this country, still going on."

Without calling names, Hinds recalled that an elected MP resigned as a government minister "for that crime."

"The matter is not finished yet. The chips still up in the air. But the Member for Siparia brought back that member in the very parliament again."

He reiterated, "That is why I tell you, everybody talking about crime, crime,, but tell me who are the real criminals?" Hosein claimed Hinds was imputing improper motives against the person he did not name.

"Improper?" asked Hinds.

He reminded MPs about former Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner who was appointed national security minister in June 2012 by Persad-Bissessar when she became prime minister.

"When he was so appointed, the world knew of him. The world wanted him and today, we are seeing that in plainer terms, in terms of developments last week."

On November 17, Warner, a former FIFA vice-president, lost his legal challenge to an aspect of extradition proceedings to the US to face a barrage of fraud-related charges.

The Privy Council held the request for Warner's extradition was not unfair.

He challenged the process by which the extradition proceedings against him were carried out and sought to quash the authority to proceed (ATP) signed by the Attorney General in September 2015. This was after the US asked for the former football jefe to be extradited to face some 29 charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering. The request was made on July 24, 2015.

Extradition proceedings at the magistrates’ court in Trinidad were stayed pending his legal challenges.

Hinds rejected UNC claims of political interference in the police service.

After saying only the Police Service Commission (PSC) selects nominees for the posts of commissioner of police (CoP) and deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Hinds said, "You hear about merit lists (for CoP and DCP nominees). I have never seen one in my life. Neither has the Prime Minister."

Hinds dismissed claims that Government is not providing the police with resources to help them fight crime.

He said the police recently recruited some retired police officers to assist current officers in the Cold Case Unit.

"Cases that might have been there for 15 to 20 years unsolved, they are dealing with these cases."

Some of these cases include murders.

"They have been solving these murders. That didn't happen between 2010 and 2015. That is happening now."

He added that he shared acting CoP McDonald Jacob's confidence that this initiative will be successful.

"I know the science will work. I have seen it."