00:00Just days after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the
00:04United States and Trinidad and Tobago to establish a vetted unit in the Trinidad
00:09and Tobago Police Service, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley faced
00:12questions on the matter from Kuva South MP Rujunath Indar Singh on behalf of the
00:17opposition. Will the Prime Minister inform this house on the proposed
00:22composition of the said unit and whether stakeholder consultations have taken
00:28place? The proposed composition of the vetted unit would include members of law
00:34enforcement entities from Trinidad and Tobago with the lawful authority to
00:39investigate major transnational organized crime. They would be supported
00:46by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency during their investigations.
00:51Extensive stakeholder consultations were held over the past year from initiation
00:58The MOU for the establishment of the vetted unit was signed late last week by
01:03US Ambassador Candace Bond, National Security Minister Patrigeel Hines and
01:08the Special Agent in Charge of the Caribbean Division of the US Drug
01:11Enforcement Administration Denise Poster at the office of the Trinidad and
01:16Tobago Police Services transnational organized crime unit. In the House of
01:21Representatives the Prime Minister clarified exactly who will be in charge
01:25of the new vetted unit. What will be the reporting relationship of this these
01:32officers from the respective law enforcement agencies. Madam Speaker
01:38reporting relationships remain the same the vetted unit would be under the
01:43control of the Commissioner of Police and reporting arrangements remain the
01:47same. And in response to another question from MP Indar Singh on whether the
01:52compensation packages for members of the vetted unit will differ from those
01:57in the police service the Prime Minister also made mention of elements of the
02:01military. Madam Speaker I would not venture to interfere with the compensation
02:09package of officers whether they come from the Coast Guard, the Defence Force
02:12or the police as they do their work under the existing arrangements. The US
02:17Embassy said in a statement late last week that the vetted unit will receive
02:21specialized training so that they can work more closely with US law
02:25enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal
02:30organizations. Jule Brown TV6 News
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