Political analyst on CoP, SSA fiasco: Too early to tell of impact

AS the controversy surrounding the Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher and the former head of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) continues to unfold, a political analyst believes it is premature to determine whether the situation will benefit or harm any political party.

"Because it is still evolving, it becomes challenging to say how it will work. We have to wait and see how it plays out," Dr Bishnu Ragoonath said on February 4.

"TT, notwithstanding everything that is going on, still has a system of politics where the PNM has its base and the UNC has its base. I do not expect the membership of either base to shift allegiance because of this issue."

The general election is constitutionally due this year, and the two major political parties are the PNM and UNC.

Former SSA director Major Roger Best and Harewood-Christopher are the subjects of an ongoing investigation into the procurement of high-powered sniper rifles.

Last week, the two were detained, questioned and released over the weekend without charges.

In a letter dated January 31, Dr Wendell Wallace, chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), instructed Harewood-Christopher to "cease to report for duty and to cease the discharge of duties of the office of CoP, with immediate effect until further notice."

The PSC, in a letter to the President, nominated DCP Junior Benjamin to act as top cop. It also nominated ACP Curt Simon to fill Benjamin's substantive post in the interim.

Motions to approve both nominations were unanimously passed in Parliament on February 5.

On the same day, Pamela Elder, SC, on behalf of her client, Harewood-Christopher, filed a motion at the high court to challenge the authority of the PSC to suspend the CoP from office under the current circumstances. Elder also asked the court to keep the CoP position vacant until the challenge was determined.

In his ruling delivered on the evening of February 5, Justice Christopher Sieuchand allowed Harewood-Christopher's challenge of the PSC's authority but also allowed the PSC to go ahead and appoint and acting CoP in the interim.

Speaking to Newsday on February 4, the day before Parliament debated the PSC's nominations, Ragoonath said the handling of the issue in Parliament could be crucial.

He said a significant number of voters were neither PNM nor UNC, and that group might be looking closely to see exactly what was playing out.

"I am still waiting to hear, for instance, the outcome of whether or not the Parliament will debate the position of the acting police commissioner," Ragoonath added. "Depending on how that debate goes – if there is a debate or if there isn't – it will raise concerns about possible political interference and other issues. That (outcome) could cause an issue going forward.

In March 2024, Best was suspended and later dismissed on the basis of alleged SSA-related activities under his leadership.