122 constables threaten lawsuit over promotion

Another 122 police officers want the promotion of constables stopped.

They are again threatening legal action over the police service’s recent promotion exercise.

Some of the latest batch have filed proceedings challenging promotions to the rank of corporal.

On January 24, attorneys for the 122 sent a pre-action protocol letter to Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher calling for “meaningful resolution.”

They have also asked for clarity on recent statements attributed to a deputy commissioner about a “glitch” in producing a merit list.

They claim several officers who were promoted in September 2023 have been told they have to appear before DCP Ramnarine Samaroo and they suspect it is to “remove their stripes.”

The group is represented by attorneys Jagdeo Singh, Karina Singh, Leon Kalicharan, Keston Lewis and Jasmyn Sargeant of Fortis Chambers.

The attorneys have given the commissioner 12 hours to stop any action relating to the 2023 promotion exercise.

“Having regard to the series of shortcomings, it is now untenable for our clients to continually subject themselves to a process and system which has consistently failed and deprived them of a procedurally fair and transparent process.

“It is therefore our respectful view that in light of the plague of discrepancies contained in the merit list and the promotion list is blatantly compromised.

“ It is regrettable that several steps were taken without accounting to the participating membership the manner in which you and those under your delegation intended to utilise significant state resources to rectify the flagrant maladministration of the promotion assessment,” the letter said.

The attorneys have asked for clarity on several issues relating to the promotion exercise, including the comparative merit list, the “glitch” and the purported revoking of stripes of the officers promoted in September.

They also want the scores of all the officers on the comparative merit list, along with other information.

The letter said the police service was an essential part of the architecture of the State, so it was of utmost importance to maintain public confidence in its integrity and management.

“Considering the publicly admitted errors and anomalies occurred in the promotional process, the credibility of the TTPS has already been undermined and its credibility is now at stake.

“There is now a duty to act in a transparent and accountable manner to negate the public’s scepticism of the legitimacy of the police promotions process and the perception of nepotism, favouritism and illegitimate actions.

“Thus, a call for urgent clarification on the aforementioned matters remains critical before any further actions/decisions are taken from an underlying flawed and tainted process.”

The letter also said the 122 officers remained faithful to the police service but had since “grown weary of the being hopeful in thought and prayer.

“However, prayers by (themselves) are not enough. Prayers do not fulfil the obligations held under the Office of the Commissioner of Police. The practice of piety in the face of injustice is synonymous (with) wilful blindness and the neglect of one’s responsibility.”

This latest threat of legal action also comes soon after 93 constables wrote to the Police Service Commission (PSC) complaining of the conduct of the commissioner and the Promotion Advisory Board in the 2023 promotion exercise, which saw some 900 officers being elevated to the rank.

Wednesday’s letter said the 2023 exercise involved a backlog of over 2,000 officers now competing for limited vacancies for corporals. A March 2023 merit list contained the names of 2,342 constables. Some 861 were promoted in September. There are reportedly 1,200 available spots for the rank.