[UPDATED] Erla's lawyer: Not a drop of evidence

Darren Bahaw and Janelle de Souza

IN THE face of an active criminal investigation, and after more than 50 hours in custody, the ignominy of being arrested and questioned by junior officers ended for Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher when she emerged from the St Clair Police Station on February 1, set to resume her duties as head of the police service.

Harewood-Christopher heeded her lawyer’s advice not to comment as she was released, around 5.50 pm. She appeared emotionally drained and at one point tears welled up in her eyes.

Speaking outside the station on Serpentine Road, her lead attorney, Pamela Elder, SC, questioned the competence of the police team investigating whether Harewood-Christopher played a role in the importation of two sniper rifles for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).

Harewood-Christopher stood stoically at Elder’s side.

Elder said Harewood-Christopher had endured “unrelenting interrogation” as a suspect who had been cautioned.

“What happened here is an outrage. It is outrageous because the CoP was questioned – not as a person from whom the officers wanted information – but she was cautioned. And we all should know a caution is administered to a person against whom the officer has reasonable grounds to suspect the person has committed an offence.”

She said she had sat in on the interview and it was clear there was “not one drop of evidence” against Harewood-Christopher, and some of the questioning was unfair.

Elder said the questioner was “very junior” and, after telling Harewood-Christopher there was evidence she “and other persons” had procured the firearms unlawfully, refused to identify those other people.

“So the burning question which I would like answered is, who is the senior officer that authorised the arrest of the CoP on material that did not establish grounds to suspect?”

She asked what was the basis for the arrest, because if there were evidence, her client would have been charged rather than questioned. She also wondered if there was an agenda to humiliate Harewood-Christopher.

Elder praised the CoP for staying calm during the ordeal, and the Director of Public Prosecutions for instructing investigators to release the CoP.

She warned, “As her attorney, I would advise her that the matter not rest here.”

Asked if Harewood-Christopher would return to work, Elder said they had to consider and discuss their next steps, but she was going home to rest her head on her own pillow.

“I want to assure the nation that they should maintain faith in their CoP. She is a strong woman.”

Harewood-Christopher left the station in her official SUV with her security detail.

Her release came after investigators led by Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Intelligence and Investigations Suzette Martin met with DPP Roger Gaspard, SC, for almost four hours at his office at the Winsure Building, Richmond Street, Port of Spain, to discuss the evidence in a high-stakes investigation into the SSA’s purchase and the delivery of the two lethal military-grade sniper rifles.

Both weapons are classified as prohibited guns according to the Firearms Act and should not be in the possession of civilians.

News of the DPP’s advice to police to release both Harewood-Christopher and former director of the SSA retired Major Roger Best, pending further investigation, was confirmed by legal representatives of the two around 4 pm.

Best, who was arrested on January 29, after police searched his Arima home, was released from Belmont Police Station. He was questioned by acting Sgt Lawrence Joefield at the Professional Standards Bureau, on Henry Street, in the presence of his attorney Darren Mitchell, on January 31.

Harewood-Christopher was confined at the St Clair station after being arrested at her office at the Police Administration Building on January 30, sending shockwaves through the ranks of the service.

She was questioned on two occasions by detectives Sgt Amir Mohammed and Cpl Adrian Smith in the presence of her attorneys. A legal adviser to the police service, Sgt Verson Jeanville, also sat in on the interviews as a friend of the CoP, police said.

There have been growing calls for the Police Service Commission to act and send Harewood-Christopher on administrative leave with full benefits pending the outcome of the investigation. But questions to the commission’s secretariat and the chairman Dr Wendell Wallace were not acknowledged.

Sources close to the investigation expressed alarm over the possible influence of the integrity of the investigation on Harewood-Christopher’s release.

As part of the investigation, police have also taken statements from Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds and Chief of Defence Staff Air Vice Marshal Darryl Daniel, police confirmed.

Investigators are hoping to complete wrapping up their enquiries in the shortest possible time before returning to the DPP for advice, police said.

SSA request for guns triggers probe

The investigation was triggered by a confidential Special Branch report of May 1, 2024 submitted to the Prime Minister, the head of the National Security Council (NSC).

Both the CoP and director of the SSA are members of the NSC.

The probe centres on an alleged request Best made to Harewood-Christopher sometime between July 2023 and March 2024 to buy the two sniper rifles for the use of the SSA.

The CoP has the sole authority to approve import permits for guns.

The guns were procured through A&E Tactical, a Trincity-based company, owned by Luke Hadeed.

Hadeed surrendered to police on January 31, in the company of his attorney Om Lalla, after seeing online reports suggesting he was wanted for questioning. However, he was told he was not needed.

The SSA is the only agency authorised by law to intercept communications via phone calls, WhatsApp messages, e-mails and other modes after obtaining court orders under the Interception of Communication Act. It was established in 1995 primarily “to guide the formulation and implementation of national policies on illicit trafficking of dangerous drugs and related criminal activities.”

The role and function of the agency were expanded in 2016, under the PNM, “to act as an office for centralising information that could facilitate the detection and prevention of serious crime, for co-ordinating operations for the suppression of serious crime and for co-operating with the services or the corresponding services of other countries

Best, who once had the full confidence of Dr Rowley, was sent on administrative leave on March 2, 2024 and subsequently terminated on May 18, 2024 while in police custody for an unrelated investigation involving the transfer of four high-powered rifles.

This country’s ambassador to the US, retired Brig Gen Anthony Phillips-Spencer, was recalled to act as SSA director on May 2.

On July 3, 2024, the Prime Minister disclosed startling details of an audit by Phillips-Spencer in a statement to Parliament which claimed the organisation was under the influence of a religious cult comprising highly-trained military operators, which had amassed over 100,000 rounds of ammunition and 100 guns, on a mission to overthrow the Government.

The audit reported that under Best’s leadership several people belonging to a cult were hired by the SSA, which “was arming itself while preaching a doctrine for trained military and paramilitary personnel with a religious calling to be the most suitable persons to replace the country’s political leadership.”

It was during this statement Dr Rowley first said Best had initiated the procurement of high-grade military bolt-action rifles, complete with the most modern silencers and other accessories, and the agency was involved in training “specially selected questionably hired personnel in the skill and use of such weapons.”

Parliament approved an amendment to the Firearms Act on November 1, 2023, after Best had asked government to allow SSA staff to carry guns “in certain restricted circumstances and offered persuasive reasons for it.” Before the amendment, SSA staff did not have any legal authority to be armed.

This story was originally published with the title "Police to release CoP, ex-SSA director pending further probe" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

COMMISSIONER of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher, who was arrested on January 30 and kept in custody at the St Clair Police Station, is expected to be released without charge.

Confirmation came from Harewood-Christopher's attorneys Pamela Elder, SC, and Russell Warner.

The development comes after police met with Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, at his Richmond Street, Port of Spain office on February 1, to discuss the evidence gathered in an investigation relating to the importation of two sniper rifles for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).

Former director of the SSA retired Major Roger Best, who was arrested on January 29, after police searched his Arima home, is also expected to be released from Belmont Police Station.

The CoP was arrested at her office at Police Administration Building and later interviewed by a team of officers assigned to an operation unit assigned to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Police are expected to continue their investigations before consulting the DPP again.