Griffith welcomes Guevarro's appointment as Police Commissioner

FORMER commissioner of police (CoP) Gary Griffith has welcomed the appointment of Special Branch acting Snr Supt Allister Guevarro as CoP.

The House of Representatives unanimously passed a motion to approve the Police Service Commission's (PSC) nomination of Guevarro for the CoP post on June 13.

In a WhatsApp comment on June 14, Griffith described this as a rare occasion when the government and opposition agree on one issue of national importance.

He noted in the April 28 general election, over 95 per cent of the population voted for either the UNC or the PNM.

Given the serious threat crime poses to all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, Griffith said, "I ask that all law-abiding citizens accept and support the decision made."

Griffith, who served as CoP from August 2018-August 2021, said the decision made by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for government to support Guevarro's appointment is bold and daring.

On June 14, Griffith said it will do "an enormous degree of damage control to refurbish the image and repair the damage done to our independent institutions, including the PSC, by rebuilding trust and confidence in them."

Griffith claimed under the former PNM government there was an attempt to manipulate the PSC to try to remove a CoP because of his refusal to be a political puppet and to be influenced to target political opponents.

"So with all these red flags, it takes real courage and trust in our independent institutions by the prime minister to take such a risk and proceed with a recommendation from a PSC that was also hand-picked by a politically selected President."

Griffith repeated, "This is why I continue to believe that we should revert to the previous system of using foreign international experts in law enforcement, rather than a virtually politically appointed commission with no experience or qualification in law enforcement."

The motion to approve Guevarro's nomination for CoP is in keeping with a commitment made by Persad-Bissessar at a post-cabinet news conference at the Red House, Port of Spain, on May 15.

“In the short term, we need to get a substantive CoP, and changes to the legislation will take us a little more time, which will then subvert really what is the present law."

She added, "Certainly, we will consider changes to the law. AG (John Jeremie), we have talked about it, but not in the short term. I think in the short term, I really would await the PSC’s recommendations, which were sent to the President."

Persad-Bissessar said those recommendations would be brought to the Parliament in accordance with law.

Her comments were made in relation to events surrounding the appointment of DCP Junior Benjamin as acting CoP on February 5.

Benjamin was appointed acting CoP when a related motion was passed in the House. The motion was moved by then prime minister Dr Keith Rowley.

Days earlier, then-CoP Erla Harewood-Christopher was suspended because of a police probe into the importation of two sniper rifles for the Strategic Services Agency.

Her suspension was lifted on May 10, after Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, SC, said he found there was no evidence to support any charge against Harewood-Christopher. Her contract ended May 14.

On May 15, Persad-Bissessar said government agreed to buy out Harewood-Christopher's remaining vacation leave, which the Homeland Security Ministry had said was 66 days.