Politics

• POLICE MISCHIEF- COP leader on report that terror threat was not real:

  9th of January, 2012

  

  By Kim Boodram

   

  CONGRESS of the People leader, Prakash Ramadhar, said yesterday his party is worried over what he says are conflicting police reports on whether the alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was real.

  Ramadhar was commenting on an exclusive story carried in the Sunday Express, which stated that a probe carried out by Supt John Daniel of the North Eastern Division and submitted to Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs found no physical evidence that the PM, Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal, Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan were the targets of an assassination plot.

  Seventeen men, including Selwyn "Robocop" Alexis, were arrested on suspicion of being behind the alleged plot, during the State of Emergency that ran from August 21 to December 5.

  All were released without being charged and the arrests led to protest from the Muslim community, to whom most of the men belong, that that religion was being persecuted and that public perception of that community was being tainted.

  Ramadhar met with a group of Muslim leaders shortly after to discuss their concerns and this was followed by a second meeting last Saturday at the party's Operations Centre in Charlieville, Chaguanas.

  But Ramadhar, at yesterday's press conference following the party's monthly general council meeting at its Operations Centre in Charlievile, Chaguanas, maintained that the validity of the plot was declared by Gibbs in his (Ramadhar's) presence.

  "I was astounded to hear that there is the belief of there being no evidence to support this," Ramadhar said.

  "The Commissioner said it in my presence that the plot was real. If the Commissioner if Police says that and others say otherwise, serious consideration must be given to why this is happening in this environment."

  Ramadhar added that there appeared to be "mischief afoot" and that the contradictions will further erode public trust in the Police Service.

  Also speaking was COP vice-chairman Vernon de Lima, who said he believes there to be a deliberate attempt by some police officials to stall and possibly, destroy the State's case of perjury against Calder Hart, former chairman of the Urban Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT).

  De Lima said the investigation was taken away from the first officer in charge and it now appears to be dying a natural death, despite efforts by himself and others to bring it to a successful close.

  "The problem is with our Police Service," De Lima said.

  "There are senior officers, it seems to me, who appear to be protecting someone and who are intent on not prosecuting Calder Hart."

  Ramadhar said he hopes the change of guard on the case is not an attempt to keep the investigations from getting anywhere.

  The COP's National Assembly will be held on Saturday, January 14 at Hillview College in Tunapuna, from noon to 5 p.m. and will feature keynote speaker, Khemraj Ramjattan, leader of the Guyana party, Alliance for Change.

  Ramjattan will speak on the theme "The Importance of Third Party Politics in the Caribbean".

  A video documentary will also be shown to honour COP founder, Finance Minister Winston Dookeran.

   

   
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