Divided House approves five new PSC members

THE House of Representatives on November 18 approved the nominations of five nominees to the Police Service Commission (PSC) after the term of the outgoing commissioners ended on November 15.

However, the Opposition objected to three nominees in a heated sitting.

The nominees were Dr Wendell C Wallace, Annika Fritz-Browne, Ethel Hector-Berkeley, Roger Babooram and Ian Kevin Ramdhanie (an incumbent), of whom the Opposition objected to Wallace, Babooram and Ramdhanie.

The Government later outvoted the Opposition to approve the five.

Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds piloted the motions listed in the Prime Minister's name, with the House debating all names together.

He thanked outgoing PSC chairman retired Justice Judith Jones and her commission members, lauding her exit report in the recent 2023 PSC Annual Report.

Hinds read out the nominees' resumes – qualifications and professional experience – saying he believed them each suitable to serve on the PSC.

He said Dr Wendell C Wallace has a PhD in criminology and criminal justice from UWI, where he was a senior lecturer and had earned his bachelor's and master's degrees. Wallace was called to the Bar in TT and in the UK and had been a human resource manager and a police officer, Hinds said.

He published works on domestic violence, Venezuelan migration, policing the global south and policing and technology in the Caribbean.

Hinds said Wallace was qualified in law to join the PSC.

Hinds said Fritz-Browne had qualifications in law, including an LLM in legislative drafting, a certificate in mediation, and an MSc in planning and development.

She has been a lecturer in law and geomatics and is a PhD candidate, Hinds said.

Hector-Berkeley, a past administrator of the Tobago House of Assembly, has a certificate in industrial relations, a bachelor's degree in management and a master's  in public administration.

Hinds gave Babooram's qualifications and experience in human resource management:  a a bachelor's degree in sociology and management plus a master's  in sociology, specialising in criminology focusing on white-collar crime.

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal complained the Opposition was told late about the debate and had too little time to do full due diligence on the nominees.

He said Wallace had written an article titled: Mass shootings are here to stay.

"It is not reassuring to hear the next chairman of the PSC telling the population mass shootings are here to stay. We ask the President (Christine Kangaloo) to reconsider."

Noting the PSC's role was monitoring, supervising and disciplining the police leadership, Moonilal said Wallace was tainted by his views.

"Suppose he is interviewing a candidate who says mass shootings can be dealt with?"

Moonilal suggested Wallace was an Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) commissioner, citing the TT Gazette's notice of the appointment of one Dr Wendell Wallace from 2021-2026. He asked if there were two Dr Wallaces in Trinidad and Tobago or if it was the same person.

"If so, there are serious implications."

He alleged a resume sent from President's House to the Opposition had not mentioned Wallace being on the EBC, but Hinds later strenuously denied any such omission.

Moonilal asked what Wallace's position would be if fraud was alleged at the EBC and then the police were asked to investigate.

He then objected to Ramdhanie, citing him as heading the Caribbean Institute for Public Security and Safety.

Moonilal said the institute was owned by Amalgamated Security Ltd, which was a client of the police service.

He said Ramdhanie would be subject to a conflict of interest as a PSC member selecting a police commissioner while in an institute doing business with the police. Moonilal also objected to Ramdhanie for being on the PSC that had selected Suzette Martin as DCP while she was suspected of a traffic accident involving a boy.

Moonilal objected to Babooram, saying his conduct, testimony and evidence in an Industrial Court case were questioned in a judgment.

Hinds complained the Opposition was discouraging good citizens from public service.

Noting Kangaloo on November 6 had sent nominee details to the Government and Opposition, he said Wallace's membership at the EBC was clearly stated.

He complained that the Opposition was trying to suggest Wallace's background was a secret that someone was trying to hide.

"We demand an apology in the name of Dr Wallace!"

Lamenting innocent citizens being maligned, he dubbed the Opposition "dishonest and despicable" but withdrew the insults as Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George began to rise from her seat.

Saying the EBC and PSC both fall under the Executive's ambit, not the Judiciary nor Legislature, he surmised Wallace's two posts posed no threat to the separation of powers of the three arms of State.

Hinds was unfazed about Ramdhanie "having dealings with a company that might do business with the police."

On Martin, he said that case was still in court.

Later in cross-talk, Moonilal shot, "I never bounced down any dog!"

Hinds retorted, "I wish I get to bounce down one now!"