00:00My thoughts, it's not a good thought because I'm a little bit disappointed
00:08whatever has happened that it has come to that, that a senior officer like that
00:14could have run, apparently run afoul of the law, but I know that in Trinidad and
00:21Tobago we are a nation governed by laws, there's protection for the innocent, a
00:28person is innocent until proven guilty and due process is guaranteed. So it's a
00:36matter for law enforcement, the police and the GPP because as you know no
00:43person in this country can be arbitrarily charged or prosecuted for
00:48criminal conduct without the oversight of the GPP's office. So those
00:54safeguards are in place and we expect that every citizen will avail him or
01:00herself of the protection of the law as well as being held accountable for
01:05whatever conduct is raised in the appropriate court. I want to make
01:13something very clear because this is a country of confusion and mischief on the
01:18part of some. I've already seen some people attempting to ascribe this as a
01:24government matter. Let me just emphasize to you the government of Trinidad and
01:29Tobago does not identify any person to become the subject of police
01:37investigation, charge or prosecution. That is a matter for the police and there's
01:45no role in that process of prosecution for the government. So just let's get
01:53that very clear okay. But while she's detained, is there any intervention of
01:58Parliament we need to make in terms of who runs the service now? Well it all
02:02depends on what the outcome of the action is. If the Commissioner of Police
02:07is interdicted in any way, the entity that will treat with that is the
02:15Police Service Commission because we have an independent Police Service
02:20Commission whose duty is to oversee the performance and discipline of the
02:26Commissioner and all the deputies. So it will fall to them. Of course the
02:31government has an interest in ensuring and encouraging that the police service
02:37always has available to it proper management and arrangements for
02:42supervising the police. So we have an interest in it but the responsibility
02:47first and foremost lies with the Police Service Commission. And one last thing, have you been briefed as to the exact nature of that investigation that is taking place?
02:54No, I don't know much more than you do. I have an idea but it's not for me to
03:02pontificate on because if it goes to a situation of a charge being laid, it will
03:10then become a legal matter and we are limited and we are not anxious to get
03:15involved in what is not really our responsibility. The responsibilities lie
03:19very clearly with the police, their investigations, their findings and the
03:26guidance of the GPP and we are all protected there.
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