Abdulah: CoP's arrest 'not good'

MOVEMENT for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah has expressed concern about Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher being arrested for questioning in connection with a criminal investigation into the purchase of sniper rifles for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).

During a virtual news conference on January 31, Abdulah asked about the number of illegal firearms seized by law enforcement during the state of emergency (SoE). He said some reports claim 40 were seized in one month and this was not enough.

Abdulah was aware Harewood-Christopher was questioned on this by investigators at her office in Port of Spain on January 30.

On January 31, police confirmed the CoP had been arrested and would face further questioning in the coming days.

While it was not something he admitted he could speak about in detail, Abdulah said, "It is not a good signal if the hierarchy or two of the critical agencies that are dealing with crime and violence in the country are now themselves under investigation.

"That is a worrying situation."

Abdulah also said it was too early to say whether or not the SoE declared on December 30 was effective. He said people need to be charged, not detained and released, for the SoE to be regarded as a success.

"We would certainly want to get that hard information, because if persons are not charged and they are detained and then released, then they could actually turn around and sue the state, as happened in that 2011 SoE (under the UNC led-People's Partnership coalition government)."

The House of Representatives approved a three-month extension to the SoE when it sat on January 13.