‘In case you all don’t know what is the manifesto of the NTA, it is a well-oiled criminal enterprise and all you have to know now is what brand of oil and where the oil is and who is the enterprise owner’ – Dr Keith Rowley
By Sue-Ann Wayow
POLITICAL Leader of the National Transformation Alliance (NTA) Gary Griffith is described as a leader of a “well-oiled criminal enterprise” which formed part of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
And anyone who wants to elect him into a political position of power in the country was just as irresponsible as he is, Dr Rowley declared on Thursday night at a People’s National Movement (PNM) public meeting at Bournes Road in St James.
The NTA is contesting the Local Government Election (LGE) in an accommodation with the United National Congress (UNC). Both parties launched their candidates on Monday.
“We have always heard of corruption in that department, but this is a different story on a different scale,” Dr Rowley said.
The political leader of the PNM spent most of his speaking time on Griffith, his role as former police commissioner and why Dr Rowley would never agree to him getting another chance at that job as long as he was prime minister and head of the National Security Council.
Going back to the report of retired Justice of Appeal Stanley John on the issuance of Firearms User’s Licence (FULs) Dr Rowley said, “You know what he reported to the Police Service Commission? That what he found in the police service is a thriving well-oiled criminal enterprise. In case you all don’t know what is the manifesto of the NTA, it is a well-oiled criminal enterprise and all you have to know now is what brand of oil and where the oil is and who is the enterprise owner.”
He added, “And for the handful who want to run behind him to think all yuh could elect him into this country, if that is what you all wish for, for this country, you are just as irresponsible as the oiler.”
From an affidavit in court by current Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher and published in a daily newspaper, Dr Rowley read that over 100 guns granted to FUL users have been used to commit murders, robberies and suicides. He added that 30 guns imported by authorised dealers have ended up into the hands of criminals.
The political leader said there were also poor accounting records of imported guns and ammunition with incomplete statistics between 2016 and 2022. He added that information from the Customs and Excise Division for a six-year period to determine guns and ammunition imported for non-law enforcement purposes is yet to be provided to the police, he said.
Dr Rowley said under the law, every bullet must be accounted for and said that one dealer could not give account for the ammunition that he had.
Still reading from the affidavit, he said, “Non-law enforcement purposes skyrocketed with an all-time high in 2020 of 57.2 million rounds of ammunition, permits granted for 57.2 million rounds of ammunition, almost 14 times the population of this country. It means that for everyone in this country, there are 14 bullets imported into this country.”
According to the affidavit, in 2016 there were 81 import licenses granted for 55 gun dealers to import 1,620 guns with 6.1 million rounds of ammunition. By 2020, import permits increased to 306 dealers importing 64,553 guns and 57.1 million rounds of ammunition, he said.
Dr Rowley said, “We see the attempt to militarise the society.”
Lifting the paper, to Griffith, he said, “You want to form political party to come and contest election against the PNM because you believe that the people of Trinidad and Tobago will fall for stupid talk when they are in grave and mortal danger.”
He said it was never governments’ policies including past and present prime ministers as Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to “wash the country in guns” regardless of the criminal situation of the day.
Dr Rowley said, “That was a policy that was introduced by the commissioner of police that I assisted to put in office.”
He added that he did not know the policy would be changed to have assault rifles designated for use only on shooting ranges by civilians.
Dr Rowley also read from a Finance Ministry audit report into the TTPS.
From that report, he said Griffith who is also an accounting officer split contracts above $1 million into smaller contracts which was done on multiple occasions to manipulate the law and evade scrutiny.
He said, “In particular December 30, 2020, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and a private company entered into a vehicle lease agreement for the lease of 114 vehicles for a period of three years from January 1, 2021, at a cost of $51.1 million.”
“His authority limit as Commissioner if $1 million but he managed to enter… got the police to enter a contract under his authority of $51 million. That is what he wants authority to do in Port of Spain Corporation and Diego Martin Corporation where he has candidates…”
