Ramesh: Crime fighting unit illegal

CONDEMNING as “illegal,” the appointment of a special “crime fighting unit” headed by Brigadier Peter Joseph, former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj expressed fears yesterday about the creation of a parallel police service in the country. Prime Minister Patrick Manning announced the measure, during his presentation on Monday of the national Budget, to combat escalating crime and kidnapping in the country. The special unit, to comprise selected police and army personnel, will also draw in civilians. “Having another police service is a serious situation,” Maharaj said, “which will destroy and undermine the existing police service.” Maharaj’s sentiments has been echoed by President of the Police Service Welfare Association (PSWA), Insp Christopher Holder, who criticised Manning’s new anti-crime unit as “not making any sense.”

During an interview at his San Fernando law offices yesterday, Maharaj said that from a legal perspective, the police service and army are governed by the Police Service and Defence Force Acts respectively. The former AG said that no person can perform the functions of a policeman or policewoman, except such persons who have been mandated to do so in accordance with the Acts. Manning specifically mentioned that members of the civilian population will be utilised to join this special unit and the only qualifications to join is the ability to pass a polygraph (lie detector) test at regular intervals. But Maharaj said that Manning must make public, the role and functions of the persons involved in this special anti-crime unit. “Manning cannot by Cabinet edict or fiat, overrule the Police Service or Defence Act,” Maharaj said. He added that he could come to no other conclusion but that PM Manning had created another police service and a new Commissioner of Police. Instead, Manning should have sought parliamentary approval for such an appointment, Maharaj said. He said that the Government had not acted in accordance with law and that he was very concerned what the implications of such a move, one being that citizens may perceive that the office of the Commissioner of Police was being undermined and politicised.

Maharaj said that it was unfair for acting Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs to be functioning in office and at the same time have another person appointed to head an over-riding special anti-crime unit, which would have full authority to draw in members of the public into crime detection. “Having another police service is a very serious situation,” Maharaj reiterated. On Monday’s protest in Chaguanas in which UNC MPs Dr Hamza Rafeeq and Manohar Ramsaran were arrested by police, Maharaj said the people of Chaguanas were “entitled to protest” Government’s seeming inability to deal with crime in the country and he supported them. However, the former AG declined to comment upon “the actions of politicians” in that protest. “That is their strategy. That is a matter for them,” he stated. In delivering the Budget on Monday, the Prime Minister declared that Government would not tolerate acts of civil disobedience and “will enforce the laws of the country rigidly and fearlessly.” Rafeeq and Ramsaran were released on bail and will reappear in the Chaguanas Magistrates Court on Monday.