MSJ: Trinidad and Tobago in ‘state of crisis’
Written by Clint Chan Tack on February 2, 2025
MOVEMENT for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah says events which led to the arrest and subsequent release of Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher shows “Trinidad and Tobago is in a state of crisis.”
He made this comment during a virtual news conference on February 2.
Harewood-Christopher was arrested at her office in Port of Spain on January 30 and questioned as part of a criminal investigation into the importation of sniper rifles for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).
She was detained at the St Clair Police Station and subsequently released at 5.50 pm on February 1.
A statement on March 3, 2024, from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said the National Security Council recommended the removal of then SSA head retired Major Roger Best, the appointment of Brig Gen Anthony Phillips-Spencer as interim director and an audit of the agency be done.
Best, who was subsequently fired last March, was also arrested in relation to the importation of the rifles on January 29.
He was subsequently released from the Belmont Police Station.
Referring to statements made by Harewood-Christopher’s attorney, Pamela Elder, SC, Abdulah was concerned about the CoP allegedly being arrested without any evidence against her.
He said it raised questions about police integrity when it came to arresting people and questioning them as part of investigations.
Abdulah was uncertain whether Harewood-Christopher’s release meant she was able to resume her duties or whether the matter had caused unease within the ranks of the police.
He described the entire situation as an imbroglio which no one wanted while TT was under a state of emergency (SoE).
Abdulah said the MSJ was making a call “for the truth to emerge.”
He called on Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard, SC, to address the matter at the appropriate time.
Abdulah repeated the matter raised questions about the integrity of institutions and the quality of leadership at all levels.
The former, he continued, concerned entities such as the police and the Judiciary.
Abdulah said the latter dealt with the government, opposition and the Parliament.
He was uncertain whether an external help would be needed to resolve the matter.
The investigation was triggered by a confidential Special Branch report of May 1, 2024 submitted to the Prime Minister, the head of the National Security Council (NSC).
Both the CoP and SSA director are members of the NSC.
The probe centres on an alleged request Best made to Harewood-Christopher sometime between July 2023 and March 2024 to buy the two sniper rifles for the use of the SSA.
The CoP has the sole authority to approve import permits for guns.
The guns were procured through A&E Tactical, a Trincity-based company, owned by Luke Hadeed.
Hadeed surrendered to police on January 31, in the company of his attorney Om Lalla, after seeing online reports suggesting he was wanted for questioning. However, he was told he was not needed.
The SSA is the only agency lawfully authorised to intercept communications via phone calls, e-mails, etc after obtaining court orders under the Interception of Communication Act. The agency was established in 1995 primarily “to guide the formulation and implementation of national policies on illicit trafficking of dangerous drugs and related criminal activities.”
Its role was expanded in 2016 “to act as an office for centralising information that could facilitate the detection and prevention of serious crime, for co-ordinating operations for the suppression of serious crime and for co-operating with the services or the corresponding services of other countries.”
David Abdulah –
The post MSJ: Trinidad and Tobago in ‘state of crisis’ appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
