By Prior Beharry
FORMER police commissioner Gary Griffith issued about 7,000 firearm users’ licences (FULs) from August 2018 to September 2021.
This according to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in a statement in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
He said, “Approximately 7,000 licenses were issued, given the relatively short period, August 2018 to September 2021. In that short period, he would have granted more FULs than several Police Commissioners, combined over the years.”
Dr Rowley said there were tremendous misgivings regarding allegations of rampant corruption and malpractices relating to the issuance of FUL, variations and firearm import permits.
He said, “You will recall that when this matter came to the attention of the National Security Council, we initiated two investigations.
“The first by a Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Arthur Barrington and Retired Chief of Defense Staff, Rear Admiral Hayden Pritchard; and the other (The Craig Report July 2022) which was carried out by a team of four (4) retired Senior police officers, supported by four serving police officers, assigned to that investigation by the then Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mc Donald Jacob.”
Dr Rowley said there was a third report commissioned by the Police Service Commission who appointed retired Justice of Appeal Stanley John.
He said, “The outpourings of these three reports, further highlighted the need for a comprehensive review of the firearms licensing regime in Trinidad and Tobago.”
Dr Rowley said he intended to lay the Craig Report in Parliament.
He said, “The moment I announced my intention, the former Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith, took the matter to the court, asking the court to stop the Government from laying the Craig report in the Parliament, for the attention of the Parliament; and for public knowledge and scrutiny.
“Like Retired Justice of Appeal, Stanley John, I considered that the contents of his report raised, not only troubling allegations about extreme corruption, but also serious matters of national security.”
Dr Rowley said the court injuncted the Craig report blocking the Government from making that report available to the public.
He added, “Interestingly Madam Speaker, it was the judge who having seen the report stated that no prime minister seeing such a report could have failed to act for to do so would have been a dereliction of duty on the part of the prime minister. However, the court process is still underway on that report.”
Dr Rowley said, “the Barrington/Pritchard report, found that some firearms dealers had direct contact with; and free, unfettered access to the TTPS’ FUL Section and process, in relation to the status of their client’s multitude of applications.
“It found that several members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, were involved in the lucrative business side of the acquisition and training of civilians; and this introduced several risks, including the manipulation of the process for personal gain, as well as serious matters of conflict of interest.
“Some citizens confirmed paying firearm’s dealers for services in the award of FULs.
He said, “The Barrington/ Pritchard team found that as a practice, certain members of the TTPS and some firearms dealers, were charging large sums of money for successful applications for FULs. Several persons interviewed, confirmed this”
He said with respect to FULs a number of anomalies were found including:
About 7,000 FULs issued in a short space of time;
Several applications for provisional permits were unsigned by the applicants, and yet they were approved;
Divisional heads did not recommend the grant of an FUL, yet they were approved;
Several FULs were approved without the requisite Certificate of Character, a required document; and
General manager of a store was charged for possession of drugs in 2012 and granted an FUL in 2021.
Dr Rowley said, “Another applicant who was similarly charged was granted an FUL in 2021.
The audit revealed that he had a series of offenses committed before obtaining his FUL. In 2011, he committed the offense of issuing threats. In 2013, failing a breath sample. In 2016, issuing threats to kill. On the 11th of September 2022, he made threats to his ex-girlfriend and the police had to intervene and investigate. This investigation led to the seizure of his firearm.”
He said there was another case where the applicant had not yet attained the stipulated age of 25 and was charged with four counts of providing false documents.
Dr Rowley said, “Many persons who had to answer allegations involving domestic violence were granted FULs and variations. Some were even on a charge of rape.
“One such example is a businessman, who attained an FUL in 2002. In 2020, he was a suspect in reports of a threat to kill. Yet in 2021, he acquired variations and attained one Carbine, one Banshee, one 5.56 Rifle, one Shotgun and one Pistol.
“This police audit found that historically Commissioners of Police, exercised a huge level of care and restraint, in granting variations that enabled the holder of the FUL to purchase several firearms at the same time. This policy was dramatically changed.”
He said under the period of review there were 1,855 variations and a number of observations were made including:
398 people with three or more variations;
625 people with variations for rifles and sub-machine guns;
Applications forms not signed or dated;
Forms and pertinent information missing from files;
People granted variations on same day of their application;
Some people granted eight applications on the same day;
Licenses were granted to people who purchased high-powered and sophisticated weapons;
Some licensed dealers were granted approval to import large numbers of high capacity drum magazines with a capacity of 100 rounds of ammunition;
There are some families with 25 weapons and in one particular case, 33 weapons in the household; and
Housewives who acquired variations for eight and hold as much as ten weapons.
He said, “In one case, an individual received a Dealer’s Licence in 2020 and then proceeded to import 11,810 firearms; 1.09 million rounds of ammunition and 330,000 component parts/accessories.
“It should be noted, that prior to obtaining the license, he was arrested and charged after being held with cocaine, at an International Airport, after disembarking from a flight from Trinidad and Tobago.”
In another example, Dr Rowley said, “A serving police officer, owner of a security firm, obtained his dealers license in 2020. He was granted 21 Firearms Import Permits for the importation of 21,533 firearms; 23.015 million rounds of ammunition; and 1,648 component parts/accessories. Two other dealers, one his spouse was granted licenses to import in excess 10 million rounds of assorted ammunition.”
