Moonilal: Criminals 'jubilant,' police in chaos after CoP's arrest

OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal says criminals are "jubilant" while the police is in "chaos" after the arrest of Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher for questioning over the import of two sniper rifles for the Strategic Services Agencies (SSA) on January 30. Moonilal urged Parliament be immediately convened to try to address any fallout.

Harewood-Christopher was released on February 2 without charge. It's not yet clear when she will return to her duties.

Moonilal spoke at a UNC briefing on January 31 at the Opposition Leader's office in Port of Spain. Moonilal said recent developments had left the country in "panic, trepidation, anxiety and stress."

He said, "The police service is now in a state of chaos. I ask 7,000 officers now: Who is your leader?"

Saying Harewood-Christopher had been appointed to office under the TT Constitution, he said she was still empowered to sign legal documents, whether she was in detention or getting medical treatment.

Saying that even a simple measure like changing the traffic flow on Frederick Street, Port of Spain, would need her approval, Moonilal asked, "Are they taking documents for her to sign? If she is in a hospital bed or a police cell, they have to find her to sign."

He claimed the Police Service Commission (PSC) had been hand-picked by the Prime Minister but, to date, its members had said nothing on Harewood-Christopher's arrest.

Members of the PSC are approved by Parliament after being nominated by the President after a screening process.

The current commissioners – Dr Wendell C Wallace, Annika Fritz-Browne, Ethel Hector-Berkeley, Roger Babooram and Ian Kevin Ramdhanie – were approved by a divided House of Representatives after debate on November 18.

On January 31, Moonilal said, "The PSC has to say something. This is leading to a constitutional crisis. Who is directing the police service?

"Parliament may have to meet in emergency.

"This is an unfolding drama that you can't find on Netflix."

Moonilal said this episode has caused "enormous distress and disturbance."

He said the National Security Council – chaired by the Prime Minister – has collapsed.

"The law-enforcement community was now reeling, under the burden of incompetence.

"There are thousands of dedicated police officers. One said to me, 'Look what my beloved organisation has come to.'

"Criminals are now buoyant, jubilant. The police service is in chaos and they (criminals) can run rampant."

Moonilal said while the PNM had criticised the Kamla Persad-Bissessar regime for having an acting CoP in the person of Stephen Williams, TT now had seen the first arrest of a CoP in 50 years.

"It is a tragedy, it is disturbing, but Kamla Persad-Bissessar said it is not surprising."

Moonilal said the Opposition had warned the Government against naming Harewood-Christopher as CoP with just three months to retirement, but they appointed and then twice reappointed her to the post.

Saying the investigation into Harewood-Christopher had been under way for some time, he asked if the National Security Council at its weekly meetings had ever questioned the CoP, SSA or Chief of Defence Staff Daryl Daniel, over the weapons in question or whether Harewood-Christopher was under criminal investigation.

Moonilal said it had been a bad week for the authorities, listing the TT Coast Guard losing the "ghost" boat, the sudden landing of a Caribbean Airlines aircraft at Piarco Airport and the Privy Council's judgment allowing Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass' judicial review of a decision by Finance Minister Colm Imbert to appoint a team to investigate her behaviour to go forward.

"The Government is on the run," Moonilal said.

"The Government is in a complete free-fall mode. The Prime Minister has no choice but to dissolve Parliament and call elections."

Moonilal said Imbert had blamed public servants for understating the Public Accounts by $3.4 billion which was later revised to $2.6 billion and Attorney General Reginald Armour had blamed public servants for a clause in the bill proposing to deny the senior citizens grant to individuals possessing $25,000 in savings.

"We call on public servants: Do not do the dirty work of the PNM in their last days. You will be held accountable. They will throw you under the bus."

Later, Moonilal read out a statement from his cellphone alleging TT was now in such a state that the criminal element might now rise, the country might be heading into civil unrest as in 1990 and that TT was now a powder-keg that could explode at any time.