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  • 10 months ago
Police Commissioner Earla Harewood Christopher has been released from custody.

She was being held at the St Clair Police Station for questioning in relation to the illegal importation of guns for the SSA.

Her attorney, Senior Counsel Pamela Elder spoke with the media a short while ago describing her client's ordeal as outrageous.

Mark Basant was there....and we have the full media interview outside of the Police Station.
Transcript
00:00Over the last three days, the arrest of the police commissioner created quite a
00:05buzz in Trinidad and Tobago. But this afternoon, after almost three days in
00:10police custody, Commissioner Willa Harewood-Christopher was released from
00:14the St. Clair Police Station without any charges related to the ongoing SSA probe.
00:31Okay, well as you all see, the commissioner is leaving the building.
00:45My client has endured two days of unrelenting, questioning, interrogation.
00:55She has endured this interrogation as a suspect who has been cautioned, and in
01:03light of that, that ordeal she has endured, I have advised her that though she
01:10wishes to speak, this is not the time. So if you have any questions, please direct
01:18them to me. What I would say that what happened here is an outrage. It is
01:27outrageous because the Commissioner of Police was questioned not as a person
01:34from whom the officers wanted information, but she was cautioned. And we
01:41all know, or we should know, that a caution is administered to a person
01:46against whom the officer has reasonable grounds to suspect the person has
01:53committed an offense. I sat through with my junior, Mr. Warner, the interview of
02:00the Commissioner, and at the end of this interview, it was pellucidly clear that
02:08there was not one drop of evidence against the Commissioner. So the burning
02:15question, which I would like answered, is who is the senior officer that
02:21authorized the arrest of the Commissioner of Police on material that did not
02:28establish grounds to suspect? And certain aspects of that interview were unfair to
02:38the Commissioner. For example, I'll just give you one example. She was asked, or
02:44she was told that the investigating officer had, and may I say this rather odd,
02:52that it was a very junior officer interrogating the Commissioner of Police.
02:58And I must commend the Commissioner for the calm that she displayed, her demeanor
03:05during that questioning. I want to salute her, and I want to assure the nation that
03:11the nation maintained faith in the Commissioner of Police. She is a strong woman.
03:16Maintained faith in that officeholder. Maintained faith also in the Director of
03:22Public Prosecutions, who was strong enough, I'll put it in very simple words, to tell
03:28the police officers, look, get away from here. Release the Commissioner. So one
03:36wonders, what was the basis for the arrest? And this is what I keep asking.
03:42Why wasn't she questioned without an arrest? That during the questioning, she
03:50was told that the officers had evidence that she and other persons unlawfully
03:58procured the firearm ammunition. And the question I asked of the officer, who are
04:06the other persons? If you are telling my client that you have evidence that she
04:11and other persons did an unlawful act, fairness dictates that you identify the
04:18other persons. And the response of that officer was that he would not divulge the
04:24names of the other persons. So again, I am very happy that the Director of Public
04:31Prosecution was able to see the lack of any evidence. I am very glad and happy
04:39that he shows that there is a true separation of powers existing in Trinidad
04:45and Tobago. And as I said, I want to know who orchestrated this. Was it designed
04:52to humiliate the Commissioner? Is there a hidden agenda somewhere there? These
04:58are questions which will be answered. But as her attorney, I would advise her that
05:03this matter not rested. Senior, this time, can we say that it's fair to say that the
05:07Commissioner has been released, no charges have been laid against her? Of course, no
05:10charges. If it were left to the police officers, she may have been charged.
05:15Because from the time you tell a person under caution, a person who you have
05:20cautioned, you start telling the person, I have evidence, you did this, I have
05:24evidence. And we all know if you have evidence, you do not even question the
05:30person, you charge. At this moment, could you, the Commissioner, return to her
05:36duties, especially in this public? What is the next step? That will have to be
05:40discussed. We have to put pen to paper. What was it like for your client, if you
05:48can, just her state of mind for the last two days? I know it must have been very
05:54difficult for her, seeing this all playing out in the public as well. You sit on an
06:01executive with officers that you thought you could trust. Well, not only officers
06:08you thought you could trust, but officers that you believe had a certain degree of
06:12competencies. So as I said, it was traumatic for her. But she remained stoic
06:18throughout. And I commend her for that. Is there anything the Commissioner would
06:23like to say? No, I advise her not to speak. And if she speaks now, she will have to
06:29get another thing.
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