Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Suzette Martin remains, at this time, the head of Intelligence and Investigations at the T&T Police Service, and the “point person” in its investigations surrounding suspended Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher.
This was confirmed yesterday by acting CoP Junior Benjamin during a news conference held at the police administration building in Port of Spain.
“The matter is still under DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police) I&I (Intelligence and Investigations), and DCP Martin is still very much the point person in relation to this matter,” Benjamin said.
At the time, the acting CoP was responding to questions posed to him on stories which were published in various media, including the Express, that allegations were made against a senior investigator in 2023 of attempting to pervert the course of justice, and that an officer involved in Harewood-Christopher’s investigation may have been transferred as a result.
Benjamin neither confirmed nor denied that an officer had been transferred, but simply said he did not have all the information at the time of the briefing.
“I can tell you, however, that we are very particular in terms of how we deal with this matter, and therefore…we would want to…ensure that if something like that happened, it would be in the best interest of the case. So, until I have further information, that’s what I’d like to be able to say,” Benjamin said.
‘DUE COURSE’: Acting CoP Junior Benjamin, right, and Acting DCP Curt Simon at yesterday’s news conference at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain. —Photo: ALEXANDER BRUZUAL
Don’t jump to conclusions
Speaking earlier yesterday during TV’s Morning Edition, Benjamin urged the public not to speculate or jump to conclusions with regards to the recent arrest of Harewood-Christopher but to allow the “process to flow and take its due course.”
The TTPS investigative team has approached the DPP for advice on at least three occasions, but each time was advised to return with more evidence.
Asked about Christopher’s arrest, Benjamin first praised her tenure, saying,
“She left a wonderful legacy and she stood out as a person who brought a level of stability to the rank and file of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service through promotions. Some issues are hurting and many people are anxious as they want to air their positions on the matter but I will caution the public before we jump to conclusions to have some truth about the matter.”
“We don’t have the full facts,” he said, adding that it would be easy to speculate but called on the public to allow the investigative process to flow.
Asked if he felt that the police acted properly based on the facts and information before them, Benjamin replied, “I am of the firm opinion that once we follow the rule of law and understand that there is a protocol as to how we deal with this issue, I feel confident that we will deal with this situation properly with confidentiality and professionalism.”
Simon surprised
Meanwhile, speaking at the police news conference yesterday, Acting DCP Curt Simon said that he was surprised upon seeing the article published in the Sunday Express surrounding the ‘senior officer’ allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice because, in his mind, the matter had been ‘dealt with’.
“Immediately, when I saw the article (Sunday Express lead story headlined ‘Cop in Erla Probe under Question’, I know that I was very much aware of that situation and the context…And in my mind, that matter was dealt with. I recall sending the report, the particular report, I think that report is also in the Express…I sent that report for advice from two of our senior legal advisors in the TTPS. And the advice came back, returned, advising that the matter may need some more beef to it, some more meat as you would, call it…to say that this is something that we should be looking into. What was written was interesting, but it needed some more what I would call evidence, I would say, to actually appear to suggest that something happened rather than being speculative and being something of conjecture. You need something more evidential,” Simon said.
He noted that he had advised the officer who had made the report of the advice of the legal officers, and had even told him of the kind of evidence that they suggested would have been needed for an official investigation to be launched.
“He did acknowledge a receipt of my correspondence and asked for some more time that I’ve given them to produce the evidence. That evidence, that production did not and has not materialised since that time. And the matter rested there for that time, awaiting that evidence that would push anything forward. So now we have seen this item in the newspapers and the TTPS in terms of our executives are holding discussions even about that,” Simon said.
Background
In 2023, the senior investigator worked with the police’s Professional Standards Bureau (PSB), when Sgt Sean Haywood, expressed deep concerns over the manner in which this individual handled two firearm-related investigations.
He made a report to Deputy Commissioner of Police Intelligence and Investigations Curt Simon, which was also sent to the Commissioner of Police (Harewood-Christopher) for onward transmission to the Minister of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds.
It was copied to the head of the National Security Council and Police Complaints Authority (PCA).
Twelve days after being arrested and interrogated, the CoP is yet to be charged, as the Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, has not yet given the green light to lay a charge based on the evidence provided to him so far by the investigating team.
Possible charges would be misbehaviour in public office arising out of Harewood-Christopher’s granting of a licence for the importation and use of the two sniper firearms which found their way to the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), which is itself under probe.
Allegations were made that the senior officer attempted to pervert the course of justice, exhibited bias, lacked transparency and accountability, stymied certain investigations, and acted contrary to the advice of the DPP when the officer instructed Haywood to alter an exhibit “to dismantle a firearm, remove a part of the said firearm seized and hand over the firearm evidence back to the suspect”, which, Haywood said, was contrary to the advice of the DPP.
Based on his letters, Sgt Haywood appeared to be so troubled by what he experienced and witnessed that he took his allegations against the senior cop to the Minister of National Security (Hinds) via the then Commissioner of Police Harewood-Christopher.
