By Prior Beharry
BARATARIA/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein is asking whether there is a vacancy for the post of police commissioner.
He asked whether the letter given to the substantive Police Commissioner Era Harewood-Christopher by the Police Service Commission (PolSC) that told her not to report for duty on Monday, after she was questioned for the purchase of two sniper rifles, means that she was on suspension.
Speaking at the United National Congress (UNC) Pavement Report in Fyzabad on Tuesday evening, Hosein said, “This letter neither said Erla has been suspended, it neither said she was terminated, it did not say ‘you should proceed on administrative leave,’ it didn’t buy out her contract.”
He added, “So is there a vacancy in the Office of the Commissioner of Police?”
Hosein, “This was an opportune moment, a golden moment to get rid of Erla and I feel they screwed it up.”
He said Parliament will debate the nomination of Deputy Police Commissioner Junior Benjamin to become the acting police commissioner on Wednesday.
Hosein asked, “Is the Parliament engaged in an exercise that may be unconstitutional?”
He said if according to the PolSC’s letter Harewood-Christopher is not the police commissioner, “and there is no commissioner of police since the 31st of January 2025, then who is regulating, who is doing the business of the Office of Commissioner under a State of Emergency.”
Holding up the Emergency Powers Regulations, Hosein said the police commissioner is allowed a number of powers including putting people under house arrest and stopping people from being outdoors at certain times.
Princes Town MP Barry Padarath questioned why Harewood-Christopher was told not to report to duty (as no charges were laid against her) and when Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence and Investigation, Suzette Martin, was on a charge for knocking down a boy on the Priority Bus Route she was still allowed to work.
Martin spearheaded the investigation that led to the questioning of Harewood-Christopher.
