Police Service Commission: Erla must not return to work as gun probe continues

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has directed Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher to stop performing the duties of her office as police investigate how Trinidad and Tobago’s elite spy agency – the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) – was able to buy two sniper rifles, despite the law's allowing only the police, the defence force and the director of the Forensic Science Centre to possess such weapons.

In her absence, the PSC has nominated DCP Junior Benjamin to act as commissioner of police and ACP Curt Simon to act as deputy commissioner as Benjamin fills in as top cop. The PSC’s recommendations will be debated in the House of Representatives on February 5.

There has been no official indication whether Harewood-Christopher intends to voluntarily step down as the investigation continues.

A letter dated January 31 from the PSC to President Christine Kangaloo said Harewood-Christopher “has been directed by the commission to cease to report for duty and cease to discharge the duties of the office of the CoP,” with effect from that date.

The letter said her removal was “as a result of an ongoing investigation into misbehaviour in public office.”

It added that Benjamin and Simon held the top positions in the respective order of merit lists maintained by the commission for the two posts pursuant to clauses 4(2) and 5(2) of Legal Notice No 277 of 2021 as amended by Legal Notice No 278 of 2021.

Harewood-Christopher was arrested on January 30, questioned and freed on February 1 as police investigated.

During an impromptu media conference outside the St Clair Police Station after her release, Harewood-Christopher stood stoically silent next to her attorney Pamela Elder, SC, who said she had advised her not to speak.

Asked if Harewood-Christopher would return to work, Elder said they had to consider and discuss their next steps, adding, “I want to assure the nation that they should maintain faith in their CoP. She is a strong woman.”

After facing the media, Harewood-Christopher got into in her official SUV with her security detail and left.

Contacted for comment before news broke of the PSC’s instructions, former commissioner of police Gary Griffith said Harewood-Christopher had a responsibility to show up for work, and should only do otherwise if the PSC said so.

“This is not about the court of public opinion…Unless she’s on sick leave or requested leave, she is still the CoP, unless or until the PSC says otherwise.

“So it is expected she will report for duty, unless the PSC sends a notice to her to tell her that she has been suspended, she’s on administrative leave or something along that line. But that is for the PSC to decide.”

Former PSC member Martin George, also responding before learning the CoP was told not to report for duty, said he thought her presence would be good for public relations.

“I would think that certainly from a PR perspective, it would be very good for her to show up for work. It will definitely show you are not hiding or you are not under any cloud of suspicion or guilt or anything of the sort.”

Difficult working relationship

Both Griffith and George expressed concern, though, over how the events could affect Harewood-Christopher’s working relationship with some of her subordinates.

Their concerns were seemingly shared by Elder, who described Harewood-Christopher’s arrest, and the subsequent “unrelenting interrogation” she endured, as an outrage.

Elder added it was clear during the interview with investigators that there was “not one drop of evidence” against Harewood-Christopher and wondered if there was an agenda to humiliate her.

“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?”

George told Newsday the handling of the situation could lead to trust issues between Harewood-Christopher and other members of the police executive.

“As to how she navigates the way forward with, particularly with the DCPs that are there, I think it’s going to be very interesting.

“It could end up being ‘the night of the long knife,’ with everybody sitting around the table waiting for their time to pounce.”

Griffith said what Harewood-Christopher endured was “tantamount to virtual mutiny,” and the situation could have been handled differently.

“The same way she was questioned and so forth, that could have been done right there in her office. She wasn’t going anywhere. But to hold her for three days and caution her...

“Cautioning someone alludes to the fact that you have enough evidence that you’re on the borderline of charging the person.

“If the person is a CoP, you must make sure you have enough evidence that is so binding and so cemented that it is almost airtight, that it’s almost certain that that person committed a crime.”

He said Harewood-Christopher had been put in an impossible situation of working with direct subordinates who would have led or had immediate oversight of the investigation.

“You have one person accusing their boss of being involved in some degree of criminal activity, and being so sure about it that they had her arrested and held for three days.

“And then you have the CoP saying that it is not true and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) acknowledging that by releasing her. So it is not difficult, it is impossible and somebody has to go.”

Police tell media, public: ‘Don’t sensationalise the case’

In a statement on February 2, police urged the public, the media and other stakeholders to refrain from engaging in speculation or making misleading comments that could undermine the investigation.

The statement said a newspaper article published on February 2 suggested DCP Martin made claims that Harewood-Christopher would not stay on as CoP while still under investigation.

“The TT Police Service (TTPS) wishes to state that DCP Martin made no such statements and would not be in a position to make any comments on the tenure of the CoP. As such, that report is erroneous.”

Martin said, “The investigations are being handled with the utmost professionalism, transparency and impartiality and justice must be based on facts and due process, rather than assumptions or biased narratives.

“Premature conclusions and false information can create unnecessary tension and hinder the work of investigators.”

She called on the public to refrain from sensationalising the case, and to await the facts before forming opinions.

“I give the assurance that the investigation, which has been guided all along by the DPP, is being treated with the utmost seriousness and all findings will be based on credible evidence.

“Let us all exercise responsibility by allowing the investigation to unfold without interference, as I call on everyone to uphold fairness (and) trust the legal system.”