Camille, Dillon demand photocopy probe

They expressed their concern before the House of Representatives unanimously passed a motion to approve the notification of former TT Defence Force Chief of Staff, Commodore Anthony Franklin, as a member of the Police Service Commission.

As she concluded debate on the motion, Robinson-Regis endorsed Dillon’s call for an investigation into this matter.

She said the Opposition was out of place to accuse the People’s National Movement (PNM) of interference in the Police Service.

Robinson-Regis reminded MPs that under the former People’s Partnership (PP) government, a certain police officer provided then prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar with a letter containing the names of alleged PNM operatives in the Strategic Services Agency (SSA). Government MPs thumped their desks as she declared, “Those persons were fired.” She also reminded MPs of a plant like substance that was found at Persad-Bissessar’s home in Palmiste, “when she was prime minister.” Robinson-Regis added, “Again, police officers covered up that information,” she said. Robinson- Regis hoped that Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams and the Police Service’s internal investigations unit would investigate the information which Rambachan provided during his contribution to the debate.

Saying Franklin was a patriot and well qualified to be a member of the PSC, Robinson-Regis was confident that he would ensure as a member of the Commission, “that kind of thing is eliminated in the Police Service.” She also disclosed that the manpower audit on the Police Service will now be completed on June 30 after Cabinet agreed to a request from audit committee chairman Professor Ramesh Deosaran for an extension. The audit was originally due to be completed by March 31.

Dillon lamented that Rambachan publicly identified the officer in question. “The problem I have with that is that there is a procedural implication,” he said.

Dillon said if that officer was having difficulty photcopying documents at his station, “other resources that could be made available and this Government has made resources available.” Dillon said he knew Franklin very well and was convinced that his management expertise will be an asset to the PSC.

Recalling that Franklin was involved in 12 vessels being acquired for the Coast Guard under the PP and that exercise was completed by the PNM, Dillon said the PP dismissed persons engaged under the PNM to acquire three offshore patrol vessels from BAE Systems.

He added that it was only on the eve of the September 2015 general elections that the PP realised its mistake and had “a mad rush” to acquire naval vessels.