A team of six police officers have been appointed to investigate purported emails, the contents of which, were read out in Parliament on Monday by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley during his no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her Government.
This was revealed yesterday by Deputy Commissioner of Police Mervyn Richardson who confirmed that copies of the alleged emails were handed over to him by PM Persad-Bissessar.
The emails, described as bogus by members of the Government during debate on the no-confidence motion, contain conversations allegedly between Persad-Bissessar and senior members of her Cabinet, about the Section 34 issue.
“The investigation is in full flight and a team has been assembled,” Richardson said. “They are working as we speak.” Richardson said the team is comprised of officers pulled from various arms of the Police Service including the Fraud Squad and Cyber Crimes Unit.
Asked whether it would have been more prudent, in the interest if transparency, to secure the services of international investigators, DCP Richardson said he is confident the integrity of the investigation will not be compromised.
“My gut feeling and I speak here as a career police officer, is that we here in Trinidad and Tobago are the best persons to police Trinidad and Tobago! That is manifested by what is happening now. We have been having good results,” Richardson said. Richardson said it was too early to determine whether the Cyber Crimes Unit would be incapable of conducting an investigation.
Not wanting to give a time frame for completion of the investigation, Richardson said he is nevertheless hoping it could be wrapped up, in the shortest possible time.” He said no one has been interviewed and no electronic items seized by police, for analysis, from those implicated in the alleged email ring.
Asked if Rowley could be charged for failing to report to police evidence of a potential crime, in that by his own admission in Parliament, Rowley said he had these emails — one of which allegedly carried threats on the life of a reporter — for six months, Richardson said: “You’re asking me to assume the role of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).”
“To say that Dr Rowley may be charged for an offence of failing to report…I will not be doing that. The investigation will reveal these things in the fullness of time.
Whether Dr Rowley has committed a breach of the common law or the law or whatever, I can’t say. That is not for me to say. I would seek advice as we go along in this matter,” the senior officer said.
Source-Newsday
