(Trinidad Guardian) Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal has accused Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher of hiding while the country is overtaken by bandits.
Moonilal trained his political guns at the Commissioner on Saturday night during the United National Congress (UNC) political meeting in Tarouba.
Criticising her 16-minute recorded statement released on Friday night addressing crime in the country, he said this would make the criminals feel strong.
“We want to remind her she is the Commissioner of Police, she is not somebody to hide from the public. This country has been overtaken by bandits,” said Moonilal.
He also called on the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on National Security to summon Harewood-Christopher.
He said, “We will also call the Joint Select Committee on National Security to summon the commissioner at the earliest opportunity to give an account of what the TTPS is doing to deal with murders, gang-related murders …”
Claiming that the crime situation at Spring Village, Valsayn, mirrors scenes from war-torn movies, he said, “Today the country is under siege and Erla, the older people here will remember. Chalkdust sing a song. He says, ‘Selwyn in the garden hiding, hiding from Manning.’ Erla don’t be in the garden hiding, hiding from the criminals. You have to come out. You have to show yourself. You have to confront these elements and don’t be scared of the people.”
The former government minister also advised Harewood-Christopher not to be afraid to face the media.
Responding to the commissioner’s suggestion that people charged with serious crimes be mandated to wear electronic monitoring devices, he reminded her that the legislation is already in place. He recalled that in 2021 an alleged offender on bail was ordered to wear the device on his foot.
“That is a judicial function, not a function of the police. It is a function of the court, not the police, laws pass already, again the People’s Partnership passed the legislation on electronic surveillance,” he said.
He said the problem with the legislation or regulation is the issue of cost. However, he said the State, not the alleged offender or the victim, must pay for the bracelet device. He also called on the Independent Senators to “stand strong” on Wednesday when Parliament is reconvened to amend the procurement legislation.
“You put the affirmative resolution in place. You must stand up and defend it with your life. Stand up and defend our democracy. We want to see if the Independent Senators will collapse under the brutality of the PNM.”
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said that there were errors in the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Procurement Act and the sitting is to make sensible amendments to function in the people’s interest.
But, Moonilal claimed the real issue was that the procurement law was preventing the completion of Balisier House