Former top cop sues National Security Minister for defamation

NATIONAL Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds is being sued by former police commissioner Gary Griffith for defamation.

The claim was filed on January 18 and served on the minister on January 19. It complains about statements made by the minister in an interview on state-run television station TTT. The interview on the Delving Deeper Episode 66 programme was posted on October 29, 2023, on the TTT Live online platform on Facebook.

“In his interview, the defendant made several defamatory statements of and concerning the claimant Mr Gary Griffith and the performance of his functions as commissioner of police of Trinidad and Tobago. “Though the defendant avoided use of the claimant’s name as he published or caused to be published his defamatory words, the defendant referred to the claimant and the performance of his functions as commissioner of police through the use of direct statements and innuendos.”

The claim said the words used and published would lead anyone acquainted with Griffith to believe he was the person referred to by Hinds.

The minister’s statements surrounded the policy for issuing firearm user’s licences (FULs) and the practice of past commissioners while singling out someone he (Hinds) considered to be an “outrider commissioner.”

“The defendant’s defamatory statements would be interpreted by ordinary reasonable viewers and listeners familiar with the matters in the public domain since August 2021 pertaining to the non-renewal of the claimant’s contract as commissioner of police; the three investigations that were initiated by the Government and the Police Service Commission (PSC) into the issue of firearms licences; the reports in the media and the comments made in the public domain by the Prime Minister and the defendant to conclude that the claimant was the subject of the said defamatory statements and that the said defamatory statements referred to the claimant.”

The claim referred to newspaper articles on the Stanley John report commissioned by the PSC to investigate the issuance of FULs by the police service, saying Hinds repeated some of the phrases used in the report.

“The defamatory statements of and concerning the claimant contained in the said interview are entirely inaccurate and untrue.”

The claim said Hinds, as National Security Minister and an attorney, should have been aware his comments amounted to an accusation that Griffith had breached the law in the performance of his functions as commissioner.

“At trial, the claimant will maintain that the defendant made the defamatory comments maliciously or with reckless disregard for the truth and that at no time during his tenure did the claimant: Have any government policy communicated to him in relation to the issuance of firearm licences; knowingly breach any government policy in relation to the issuance of firearm licences; allow persons who had semi-automatic weapons to import component parts so that their semi-automatic weapons could be converted into fully automatic weapons; allow persons to import prohibited ammunition; commit any crime.”

Griffith is seeking compensation because the words complained of constituted a “very serious libel” and caused his professional reputation to suffer irreparable harm.

“The defendant knew at the time of giving his interview that his statements given in his capacity as the Minister of National Security and in a sit-down interview with the media would be given great weight and accepted as the truth by the local and international community.”

On December 4, Griffith’s attorneys called on Hinds to apologise and make an order for compensation. However, the claim said on December 18, the minister’s attorneys responded, admitting Griffith was the person referred to by the minister but denied liability.

Griffith also wants an injunction preventing Hinds or anyone associated with him from speaking, further publishing or making other “similar defamatory” comments about him.

Griffith is represented by Larry Lalla, SC, and Nicholas Persad.