Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher is threatening legal action against the Police Service Commission (PolSC) if her suspension is not revoked by 2 pm today (Tuesday).
In a pre-action protocol letter sent through her attorney, senior counsel Pamela Elder, Harewood-Christopher is not only seeking to end her suspension but is also calling for the withdrawal of a letter dated January 31 that nominated Deputy Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin as acting Commissioner.
This nomination is set to be considered by Parliament tomorrow.
Elder’s letter, addressed to PolSC chairman Dr Wendell Wallace, described the suspension as “shocking, unlawful and ultra-vires the constitutional powers of the PolSC.”
She demands that Wallace “immediately rescind” Harewood-Christopher’s suspension, which he communicated in his January 31 letter instructing her to cease all duties until further notice.
The controversy centres around the reasons for Harewood-Christopher’s suspension, which Wallace attributed to information from a Deputy Commissioner of Police regarding an ongoing investigation into “Misbehaviour in Public Office” that allegedly involved Harewood-Christopher.
However, Elder pointed out that Wallace’s letter provided no specifics about the alleged misconduct. “It is beyond human comprehension, alarming and grossly unfair,” Elder stated, claiming a lack of details provided regarding the allegations against her client.
Elder also criticised the nature of Harewood-Christopher’s arrest, stating that it was not conducted under a judicial warrant and questioned the grounds for suspicion that led to her suspension.
“In the absence of this critical and necessary information, it is alarming that an independent Commission exercised its constitutional powers to suspend our client, the Commissioner of Police,” she said.
