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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