Islamic Front shocked by police denial of ‘hit-list’

Abdullah said his organisation was shocked by the recent response of Snr Supt Kenny McIntyre who denied the existence of a “hit list” by police in Central Division (mainly in Enterprise).

“He is either naive or knowingly covering up for dirty cops. He says that police are not executioners and are there to uphold the law” Abdullah stated in a media release yesterday.

McIntyre, had said police do not execute people but uphold the law, in relation to the police shooting death of alleged gang member Jelani Martins, 25, at Chaguanas, last week Friday.

The release further stated: “Waajihatul Islaamiyyah is saying the officer responsible for the killing of Jelani Martins has broken the law and should be called to account for his actions, as in the case of Govinda Morgan, the security guard who was charged for shooting to death ex-convict Vern Sambury.” The Imam referred to several reports which, he said, should be lessons to McIntyre as to the reasons why he needs to be better informed before he opens his mouth.

Abdullah recalled that in July 2007, a parliamentary Joint Select Committee issued a report which was highly critical of the Police Service.

“The report highlighted a disturbingly high number of disciplinary charges against officers, a need to combat the increased levels of indiscipline within the Police Service and a ‘serious lack of accountability from top to bottom’ in the police force,” Abdullah said.

He added that in 2011, the Crime and Problem Analysis (CAPA) department of the Police Service showed that the number of “extrajudicial killings” increased consistently over the previous decade.

It added that such cases were being cited by regional and international human rights organisations as a blot on the country.

“Amnesty International has also produced a report on the killings in Trinidad and Tobago, on the topic “Excessive use of force by the security forces and lack of independent investigations”,” the release stated.

Abdullah noted that police are paid to protect communities against armed bandits and warring gangs, among other brutalities. In doing so, police sometimes do get fired on by desperate men and do have to fire back.

“That is part of the price we pay for living in a society where guns are cheap and plentiful and where people are taught violence as a way of life in their own homes and communities from childhood,” Abdullah said.