OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is calling on the three remaining members of the Police Service Commission (PSC) to come clean on whether they were influenced by government members in removing Gary Griffith as acting commissioner of police.

In a statement Wednesday, Persad-Bissessar said, "There is also the grave perception that the PSC's shambolic handling of this serious matter was driven by direct influence from the government. If that is true, it would be a serious breach of safeguards meant to shield the (PSC) and (police service) from political interference."

Her statement follows media publication of a letter and e-mail from Roger Kawalsingh, one of the PSC members, which claimed that the list of the top candidates for the post of CoP was completed on August 12, five days before Griffith's three-year-contract came to an end, but was not sent to the President, after an unnamed public official raised serious concerns which prompted the PSC chair to abandon the process.

Among the short-listed candidates are Griffith, DCP Erla Christopher, ACP Wendell Williams, Lt Col Sheldon Ramnanan and ACP Andre Norton.

Kawalsingh also raised concern about the appointment of retired Justice of Appeal Stanley John and his terms of reference, claiming that it overstepped the powers of the PSC and was against one of the seven short-listed candidates.

On Monday, the Opposition Leader called for the immediate resignation of all PSC members over what she described as the "constitutional crisis" they created in appointing an acting CoP.

On Tuesday, one of the members Courtney McNish, an industrial relations consultant, resigned, a day after Griffith made good on a legal threat to challenge his suspension from duties. Neither Kawalsingh nor McNish were willing to comment on Wednesday.

Persad-Bissessar said the remaining members – chairman Bliss Seepersad, Susan Craig-James and Kawalsingh should do the same.

She said due to the PSC "mishandling of the this matter," there are now two acting CoPs – Griffith and McDonald James.

WAS LIST SENT?

Persad-Bissessar called on the PSC to say whether the list of people qualified to act as police commissioner was sent to the President as required by law.

"The commission continues to remain silent on this, however, we understand that the President has acknowledged receiving a list of suitably qualified people as nominees to act in the office of Commissioner of Police," Persad-Bissessar said.

A letter sent by the Office of the President's director of legal services Nancy Arneaud to a lawyer in the chambers of former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, states that the PSC on August 12 sent a list of names of people to the President in accordance with the provisions of Legal Notice 183, which sets out the procedure to appoint an acting commissioner of police, and the President replied to the chairman of the PSC the following day.

"No notification was sent to Parliament by Her Excellency for the granting of an acting appointment in the Office of Commissioner of Police