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  • 5 months ago
The Police Service Commission has submitted a nominee for Commissioner of Police to be approved by the House of Representatives.

The House meets on Friday.

Who's that nominee? Well his name is Alister Guevarro- a Senior Superintendent attached to Special Branch.

Mark Bassant has more in this report.
Transcript
00:00To some other news now, the Police Service Commission has submitted a nominee for Commission of Police
00:05to be approved by the House of Representatives.
00:08The House meets on Friday.
00:09Well, who's that nominee?
00:11His name is Alistair Guevara, a Senior Superintendent attached to a special branch.
00:16Mark Massant has more in this report.
00:19After several months of tests and interviews conducted by the Police Service Commission,
00:24a nominee for the post of Police Commissioner has been chosen.
00:28That man is Senior Superintendent Alistair Guevara attached to the special branch of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
00:35Several senior police sources told TV6 News that Guevara has worked in special brands since he was a police commissioner
00:42and moved up the ranks and has closed a 30-year service in the TTPS.
00:47Most described him as very knowledgeable and bright,
00:51and a no-nonsense kind of police officer who has worked for many years covertly gathering intelligence.
00:58Attempts via phone and WhatsApp to reach Guevara for comment on his nomination were not successful.
01:04Come Friday, Homeland Minister Roger Alexander is expected to bring a motion for Guevara's endorsement to Parliament to be debated.
01:11But there might be lingering questions surrounding not just the Police Service Commission,
01:16but also the nomination of Guevara for the top cop post.
01:20The present UNC government had raised concerns in November last year
01:23when then-Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hines of the PNM government
01:27had put forward five names to serve on the Police Service Commission.
01:31The then-UNC opposition had objected to three of the names selected,
01:36and they were Dr. Wendell Wallace, PSC Chairman, Roger Baburam and Ian Kevin Ramdani.
01:42Despite a heated debate, the then-PNM government outvoted the opposition to approve the five members.
01:49Sources say this may very well be a consideration going into Friday's motion.
01:53Added to this, sources say that Guevara appeared to be very close to the last government
01:57and had been selected to sit on a three-man specialist team
02:00to investigate the island-wide blackout that took place in February 2022.
02:06That committee had been appointed by the Office of the Prime Minister,
02:09according to then-Finance Minister Colm Inbert.
02:13And while the matter is still to be debated,
02:15Acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin is congratulating Guevara on his nomination,
02:20as well as ACP Wayne Meister for the post of Deputy Commissioner of Police.
02:24Senior police sources told TV6 News that one of the now-sitting Deputy Commissioners
02:29is expected to go on a lengthy vacation leave,
02:32and Meister has been nominated to fill that position.
02:36If Guevara is not chosen, then the person second on the merit list of the Police Service Commission
02:40will be considered, and that process can continue until there is agreement by the House
02:46on the selected nominee for the post of Commissioner.
02:48In 2018, the first three names submitted for the post of Commissioner of Police,
02:53Diodathe Dularchan, Harold Phillip, and Stephen Williams,
02:57were rejected by the then-sitting PNM administration,
03:01with Gary Gifford fourth on the merit list being given the nod.
03:05Mark Bassant, TV6 News.
03:08Late this afternoon, Senior Superintendent Guevara responded to TV6 News,
03:13indicating that he had been in a lengthy meeting.
03:15He said that at this time, he respectfully withholds further comment
03:19until the parliamentary process is completed,
03:22and he thanked us for our understanding.
03:26It's now time for our People Meeter.
03:28Tonight we're asking you,
03:30are you surprised that there is a new nominee for Commissioner of Police?
03:34To vote, text dance or no to the number 766-4886 or 766-4TV6.
03:39We'll have the results for you at the end of this newscast.
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