Lutchmedial-Ramdial favours strong PSC

OPPOSITION Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial-Ramdial reacted to calls for more powers for the Police Service Commission (PSC) by saying that in general she has always supported a strengthening of the commission.

She spoke to Newsday on November 21, after a divided House of Representatives on Monday approved five people as a new PSC and after outgoing PSC head retired Justice Judith Jones, in the PSC Annual Report 2023, said the PSC needs more powers of oversight.

Jones had urged the PSC should have its own investigative powers, as it was legally blocked from referring to the findings of the Police Complaints Authority and the Financial Intelligence Unit. Jones lamented that the pool of candidates for CoP was limited by the fact they must have law-enforcement experience, a mandate set by Cabinet.

She said the PSC’s monitoring of the CoP was limited to being based on documents sent by the CoP herself.

Further, the PSC’s monitoring of performance was limited to appraising the CoP’s performance as measured against the police service strategic objectives,  which were set by the CoP.

Lutchmedial-Ramdial told Newsday in her initial reaction, “I am always in favour of the service commissions having as much of a role to play as possible.

“The service commissions still have a little insulation and protection against political interference.”

She related that Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar had taken the Government to court over alleged interference in the appointment of a COP.

This referred to the Prime Minister going to President’s House to get the PSC to rescind its CoP merit list, which was headed by Gary Griffith, the former commissioner.

On whether services commissions were fulfilling their duty, she said, “I am always in favour of strengthening.”

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal told Newsday via WhatsApp, “A deeper review is needed of the operations of the PSC but she (Jones) complained about lack of personnel, support and resources from 2015.”

Moonilal said the PNM Government had contributed to sinking the PSC.

“When the Prime Minister snatched the PSC recommendation for a CoP from the then chairman he destroyed the institutional integrity of the PSC.”

President Christine Kangaloo will swear in the five PSC members on November 22 at President’s House.

The  members were listed in a statement from President’s House as Dr Wendell C Wallace (chairman), Ian Kevin Ramdhanie (reappointment), Annika Fritz-Browne, Roger Babooram and Ethel Hector-Berkeley.

The term of the former commission under Jones ended on November 15.