After four years of battle in the courts, Inspector Mark Hernandez is freed of the charges that were brought against him. Inspector Hernandez had been charged with mis-behaviour in public office back in 2021, following the deaths of two suspects held in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Andrea Bharatt. Rynessa Cutting has more.
00:00The evidence that was presented in 27, not one or two, you know, in 27 witness statements over a period of four years,
00:09it fell short of identifying that Inspector Hernandez in any way encouraged the officers of the TTPS to act in an unlawful manner.
00:22We have instructions as the lawyers from Mr. Hernandez to look at that and to see whether there was any basis at all.
00:30For these charges being preferred.
00:31Former SORT head Inspector Mark Hernandez has been cleared of the charge of misbehavior in public office four years after being hauled before the court.
00:41The charge came after two suspects detained in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Andrea Barrett back in 2021 died in police custody.
00:51The real victims of this crime is Andrea Barrett, her father, Mr. Barrett, the members of the Special Operations Response Team,
01:08my family and the decent citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
01:17The inspector is calling on the powers that be to make things right.
01:21And the men and women of the Special Operations Response Team, they feel a lot of pain and they are saddened by the events and the outcome of this investigation.
01:36My request to the Commissioner of Police is to reinstate all the officers who have been suspended who are not suspects at this time of any crime.
01:53They are not part of any disciplinary proceedings as far as I'm aware and I'm requesting that they be reinstated immediately.
02:05SORT, which was introduced to the TTPS by former top cop Gary Griffith, was subsequently disbanded.
02:13I want to thank all the supporters and all the well-wishers who stand by our sides during this time of being persecuted and prosecuted.
02:26And I would hope that no government would use the police service as a tool to go after anybody unjustly.
02:43Hernandez then went on to make a number of saddling claims and he's calling on the police commissioner to investigate.
02:50And I know that there are officers who was used in the Professional Standards Bureau to witch hunt, manufacture, evidence.
03:09Once, during the passage of time, I was informed by the Homicide Bureau of Investigations that someone went and solicit a homicide against me by a gang in the prison.
03:39And to this date, I haven't seen anybody brought before the court to answer a question of soliciting a homicide.
03:51Meantime, his lawyer, Gerald Ramdeen, is hinting that while the charge has been dropped, the matter is far from over.
03:59Inspector Hernandez was number two on the list of DCPs, on the list that was presented to Parliament for promotion.
04:07He was number two on the list, and it was four days before Parliament sat to determine promotion based on that merit list that Inspector Hernandez was charged.
04:22Four days before Parliament decided to deliberate on promoting the persons on that list.
04:31And perhaps there are people who need to answer whether that was just a coincidence.
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