By Sue-Ann Wayow
CHIEF Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Farley Augustine has the backing of Opposition Members of Parliament in the call for an independent enquiry into the actions of the police as it relates to the searching of the homes of THA affiliates.
On Wednesday, MP for Chaguanas West Dinesh Rambally said the allegations that were raised by Augustine during a special plenary sitting of the THA executive earlier that day were alarming.
At the sitting, Augustine alleged that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and others of the People’s National Movement (PNM) were involved in a plot to discredit him and the THA executive under his leadership and that Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher was also aware.
Both Dr Rowley and Harewood-Christopher have denied any such plot.
Rambally said, “The matters as detailed by the Chief Secretary also speaks to massive levels of corruption by public officials and misconduct in public office.”
The relationship between Harewood-Christopher and the National Security Council headed by Dr Rowley must also be investigated, he said, as well as the various units within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), exposing any breaches of the law which has led to the labelled persecution of the elected members of the THA.
In a media release, Rambally likened the searches conducted over in weekend in Tobago, to a similar raid at the offices of Radio & TV Jaagriti “on unconstitutional, politically motivated and frivolous charges of sedition.”
He also said, “This blatant and sinister act of political persecution dwarfs the political victimisation revealed in the recent Vincent Nelson Indemnity Scandal.”
Rambally said, “The fact that these warrants were obtained and executed with haste in relation to what is clearly a politically motivated “investigation” into unverified audio tapes raises alarming red flags concerning the PNM Government’s interference into the TTPS.”
He also said there was no evidence or indication that the democratically members of the THA had committed any criminal offences or breached any laws.
“The fact that the TTPS are devoting more resources to this bogus matter than the spate of violent murders, robberies and home invasions plaguing our citizens solidifies the fact that the top brass of the TTPS is under the nefarious control of the PNM,” Rambally said.
He said based on Augustine’s statements, it was clear that the PNM was intent on abusing political power, undermining democracy for the benefit of themselves.
“If these allegations are correct, it would represent a dangerous blow to the heart of our democracy. If the PNM is allowed to manipulate the workings of the TTPS, it can only lead to tyranny and totalitarianism,” Rambally said.
In another media release by Naparima MP Rodney Charles, Charles said the priorities of the TTPS must be questioned.
“At a time when crime is at an all-time high, National Security ammunition being found at crime scenes, our Coast Guard is failing at securing our borders and preventing illegal entries and home invasions are on the rise, we have to question why the priorities of the TTPS are focused on political opponents of the PNM,” he said.
Charles also noted that certain PNM-affiliated places have never been raided by police, even when there were reports of investigations and allegations.
He advised citizens to pay close attention to the PNM and talks of vetted police units as “it is just another term for PNM’s private army.”
