THE Senate has voted against a private motion filed by Opposition Senator Wade Mark to annul the Commissioner of Police (CoP) and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (Selection Process) Order, 2021.

When the motion was put to a vote in the Senate on Monday, all nine Independent senators joined the 14 government senators present to defeat the motion by a margin of 23 to six.

All six opposition senators present voted for the motion.

Moments before his motion was defeated, Mark reiterated his earlier allegation there was a conspiracy against incumbent CoP Gary Griffith.

"Is the Government seeking to remove the current sitting CoP and put someone else?" He said, "We (UNC) support the the current CoP. You (Government) are not going to take us for a ride."

Mark demanded that the Police Service Commission (PSC) make a public statement as to whether it supported the CoP/DCP Order 2021 or whether it was only the Government that supported it.

"We need to know who is responsible."

Mark dismissed arguments that money spent to hire a firm to recruit a CoP or DCP was an issue. He said the last research the UNC did suggested the last firm hired to undertake this exercise was paid $4 million. He asked why a figure of $27 million was raised in the debate and if this was a scare tactic to demonise firms who want to offer their services to recruit a CoP and DCP.

Mark also claimed that "90 to 95 per cent of the staff (at the PSC) is on contract."

Opposition Senator David Nakhid said, "If it isn't broken, why fix it?"

Referring to an experience he suffered in Lebanon as a coach with politicians and the relative of a police commissioner from that country, Nakhid said, "Political conspiracy theories can become distinct possibilities."

He claimed the order was removing a layer of security and transparency currently afforded to the PSC.

Nakhid accused the Government of engaging in semantics and claimed people were agitated about who would be Trinidad and Tobago's next CoP.

"People are walking on pins and needles."

He rejected any argument for a permanent CoP.

Temporary opposition senator Renuka Rambhajan, who was sworn in minutes before Mark concluded the debate, claimed the 2021 order removed candidates' assessment data from a previous order in 2021.

"Simple does not mean better. We cannot sacrifice quality for quickness of time."

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