MOVEMENT for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah claimed the failure of the Police Service Commission (PSC) to complete its job to present a list of nominees to be considered for the post of Commissioner of Police (CoP), has created a murky situation where people are campaigning with general election gusto for one person to be the next top cop.
He made this allegation during a virtual news conference on Sunday.
Incumbent CoP Gary Griffith's term of office ended on August 17. Griffith was appointed CoP on August 6, 2018. He returned to office on August 18, and met members of the police service executive and told them the PSC had given him a letter authorising him to continue to act as CoP.
Abdulah said, "The PSC has failed to date, to recommend persons on a merit list, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, which are then sent to the President, who will then forward that list to the Parliament."
He added the House of Representatives will determine which nominee will be CoP and that instruction will be relayed to the PSC to make that appointment.
Noting that no merit list has been sent to President Weekes to date, Abdulah said, "We have been left in this kind of twilight zone." He also said the circumstances under which Griffith is being allowed to act as CoP, are also unclear.
On September 1, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said an attorney's claim that Griffith's appointment as acting CoP was incorrectly done under law by the PSC, was wrong.
The AG said the acting or holding of the post is to be done in accordance with a process. "That process was amended, by the 2021 order which was published and affirmed in Parliament by positive resolution, and became law, by which the 2015 selection criteria were replaced by the 2021 selection criteria."
He said under the 2021 order, while the PSC is engaged in seeking a substantive commissioner, it has the authority to put someone to act. "This means they can consider suitable persons, they can make appointments from persons who are holders of office inside the police service or who have acted on contract."
While this could be something for lawyers and the courts to resolve, Abdulah said, "It does leave a murky situation and in this murky situation, a lot of mud is being stirred up." He claimed there are business organisations "actively supporting one person to be appointed the commissioner."
Abdulah said, "We think that this is wrong because it is now politicising the post of the CoP to a point where there is campaigning, going on, in effect for this position."
Abdulah made it clear the MSJ had nothing personal against anyone who may be offering themselves to serve as CoP. "It has nothing to do with personality, it is about ensuring that we have a proper functioning apparatus which is the TTPS to keep citizens safe and that we have the right person...not just as CoP...but as deputy or as his assistant."
He added the police must be kept above any kind of politicisation "and campaigning which might be taking place."
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