Martin George: Erla may never recover from embarrassment

ALTHOUGH she has been cleared of wrongdoing in relation to allegations of misconduct in public office, attorney Martin George says Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher may never recover from the embarrassment caused by her arrest and suspension from duties.

Harewood-Christopher was suspended by the Police Service Commission (PSC) in early February, pending the outcome of an investigation into her alleged role in the importation of sniper rifles for use by the Strategic Services Agency.

She resumed duties on May 12, a couple days before her term ends on May 14. To continue in the position, she has to be granted an extension, which she has received twice from the previous PNM government. A decision on her tenure has not yet been announced.

In a release on May 10, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard said there was not enough evidence to successfully prosecute Harewood-Christopher. But he said there was sufficient information to justify her arrest.

Harewood-Christopher’s lead attorney Pamela Elder, SC, has advised her to take legal action against the officers that arrested her as well as the senior officers who advised them.

On the Tobago Channel 5’s Rise & Shine programme on May 13, George said people making allegations about high-profile individuals in public life must always be circumspect and judicious in their approach.

“We have to ensure that we dot every ‘i,’ cross every ‘t’ because really and truly the reputational harm and damage which can result from this type of public embarrassment is something that you can never recover from. Regardless of what, people will always remember you for the scandal and the bacchanal rather than the fact that you were eventually vindicated.”

He continued, “That is our nature as Trinbagonians. We love the humour, the rumour, the mauvaise langue, the old talk rather than the hard, cold truth, because the mauvaise langue and bacchanal is always more interesting; it’s spicy, it’s salacious and we love to make a joke about it.

“But when you talking about someone’s character, their career, their reputation, it is something we have to take seriously and always tread cautiously when you are approaching these sorts of issues.”

Although the DPP found that there may have been sufficient evidence to justify her arrest, George questioned the manner in which it was done.

“It was played out in the public space, being arrested in her office by her subordinates, hauled off in the full glare of public scrutiny, it is something that could have been managed differently. The way it ended up playing out, it really was a scenario that inflicted maximum pain, suffering and embarrassment upon the CoP.”

On the possibility of a third extension for Harewood-Christopher, George said the government and PSC must decide.

“If it is that that’s their view and they notify the PSC, then the PSC’s role will really be to appoint in that regard.

“However, if it is that there is a question as to whether the extension is going to be granted or a decision is taken that it’s not going to be granted, then you start looking down the ranks in terms of the merit list, because one must assume that by now the PSC does have its merit list of persons who can be suitable to fill that post.

“We must bear in mind that this is a merit list. It is not an age list or a list that is simply by the number of years you have sat in a chair in the police service. If they do have that merit list, then I imagine they would then forward that list to the President and go through the normal channels.”

Asked how acting CoP Junior Benjamin would fare if Harewood-Christopher is not granted another extension, George said the PSC would have to carry out an assessment of whom they consider to be best suited for a permanent appointment.

“There is a vast difference between an acting appointment and a permanent filling of the position. You don’t want to just put somebody there for a ‘corbeaux sweat’ if it’s somebody who is due to retire in a few months – although we have seen that sort of absurdity happen already in TT.

"But the reality is that if the PSC is doing proper long-term succession planning, then they ought to have identified candidates who may have a three to five years to really execute the mandate of this CoP rather than just doing a stop-gap measure.”