CoP acts on collapse of extortion case — 3 cops under probe

POLICE Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher said disciplinary proceedings have begun against three police officers involved in a case failure where seven officers were discharged after appearing in court on charges of extortion.

In a voice note sent to the media on November 22, Harewood-Christopher assured the public that any officer found culpable will face the full brunt of the law.

“As commissioner, I assert that any officer found to have engaged in misconduct or failed to meet the required standards of performance will be held accountable. The TTPS remains committed to transparency, fairness and the pursuit of justice for all and will maintain a zero tolerance policy on errant behaviour.”

She said on hearing of the recent collapse of two high-profile court cases involving police officers, she requested a report into the circumstances around the cases.

Apart from the collapsed care in which seven officers walked, another case involving charges of bribery, also collapsed and the five officers charged, also walked free. Both cases collapsed earlier this week.

“The inquiry is ongoing and extends to identifying the full extent of any possible breaches of established policies and procedures to determine if there is any misconduct or negligence.”

“The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has also been engaged with respect to determining the way forward with these two matters,” Harewood-Christopher said.

On November 18, seven officers appeared in court on charges of extortion and corruptly appropriating money – over $100,000 – which were seized as evidence at several business places in Sangre Grande.

They were discharged by Master Sarah de Silva of the High Court because the police prosecutor failed to comply with court directives, including the timely preparation and prosecution of the case.

On November 20, in the case against the other five officers accused of accepting a $30,000 bribe as well as five pounds of marijuana, Master de Silva also set these officer free due to insufficient evidence.

Harewood-Christopher said stakeholders had called on the TTPS to account for the collapse of the cases and it recognised the gravity of the matter.

“It is my intention to do everything possible to ensure these matters are determined in accordance with the full extent of the law. As commissioner, I reiterate the unwavering commitment of my administration to full accountability, professionalism and adherence to the rule of law in the conduct of the affairs of the TTPS.

“I look forward to our rapid conclusion of the investigations into these matters and an outcome that will deliver justice to all concerned and restore confidence in our law enforcement systems. At the appropriate time, we will update further.”

The Police Complaints Authority (PCA), via press release on November 21, said it was investigating the circumstances leading to police failing to follow repeated instructions from the courts to prosecute these two matters.

The release added that the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) had conduct of these high-profile and serious criminal matters.

The PCA also said successive police commissioners had ignored its advice on how to deal with the failures of police prosecutors.

A survey on public perceptions of the police done by the Police Service Commission said people wanted to see more action by the police to tackle corruption in both the TTPS and the wider society.

The survey was contained in the Police Service Commission (PSC) Annual Report 2023, which was laid in the House of Representatives on November 15.

It said 70 per cent were unhappy at how the police handled corruption in the police service, with 47.4 per cent very dissatisfied and 22.9 per cent dissatisfied.