PM Kamla defends CoP’s appointment

Senior Reporter

[email protected]

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has fired back at Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles, branding her an “expert in interference,” after Beckles publicly questioned the independence of Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro.

During a media briefing yesterday, Beckles raised concerns about the impartiality of the police leadership under Guevarro. She cited three recent developments she believes cast doubt on the CoP’s impartiality: his public endorsement of the proposed stand-your-ground legislation; his reported decision to withdraw security from former prime ministers Dr Keith Rowley and Stuart Young; and his announcement of the State of Emergency before the Government.

“What is interesting with the SoE is that it is the commissioner of police that announced it. He put out a press release. I mean, and it’s not his decision. I mean, certain information goes to the National Security Council, but you also heard, if I recall correctly, Stuart, if you could remind me of that, the Attorney General said his speech was vetted by the commissioner? So, all right. Okay!”

In a sharply worded response, however, Persad-Bissessar defended the selection process of the current CoP, saying it stemmed from a merit-based process upheld by the Police Service Commission (PolSC).

“The former PNM leader, prime minister Keith Rowley, handpicked the PNM President Christine Kangaloo, who then handpicked a Police Service Commission. That Police Service Commission selected the present CoP as the number one choice on the merit list,” Persad-Bissessar said.

“My Government did not interfere with the merit list and supported the choice in an effort to bring back confidence in our independent institutions.”

As a member of the PNM, Persad-Bissessar accused Beckles of being part of a government that interfered in every independent institution.

“Ms Beckles-Robinson was part of a government that interfered in every independent institution,” she charged.

“She was part of a government that intercepted the PolSC merit list, attacked the Auditor General who flagged a missing $3 billion, and directed the Elections and Boundaries Commission to create more electoral seats in Tobago to manipulate the THA elections.”