CABINET RIFT OVER KAWALSINGH’S PSC LETTER

THE Keith Rowley Cabinet is split over an explosive letter from Police Service Commission (PSC) member Roger Kawalsingh on the current Commissioner of Police scandal. 

Prime Minister Rowley has been told that a senior member of his Cabinet advised Kawalsingh to write the letter, which stated that PSC Chair Bliss Seepersad acted arbitrarily in sending Gary Griffith on leave. 

The report to Rowley was made by a fellow Cabinet Minister, and is an indication of a wide rift over the ongoing PSC saga. 

The letter has put a spanner in the works of the PSC’s efforts to unseat Griffith. 

There were reports several months ago that a certain person known to the PSC was using a vehicle for which a Cabinet Minister had obtained tax breaks. 

The vehicle was photographed on the personal property of and being driven by the PSC member. 

There is a close friendship between both people, according to those familiar with both of them.  

Kawalsingh claimed in his shock letter to Seepersad that other PSC commissioners did not agree to send Griffith on leave. 

He stated this could be confirmed by the minutes of the meeting. 

He argued that the suspension letter should be withdrawn, and that there should be discussions with Griffith, but that Seepersad insisted that that would not be done. 

The letter was copied to the suspended police chief and other PSC commissioners. 

The Kawalsingh letter comes in the midst of the resignation of PSC member Courtney McNish, and widespread calls for Seepersad and the remaining commissioners to quit. 

Opposition Member of Parliament Dr. Roodal Moonilal has accused Seepersad of acting in a unilateral and high-handed manner. 

There is popular national sentiment that the PSC has been manipulated by the authorities to get out Griffith, who has reportedly run afoul of the Government. 

Informed sources say the incumbent commissioner had rebuffed repeated instructions to investigate certain prominent anti-government figures. 

Evidence of such directives is likely to play out in the current imbroglio. 

Once heralded by the Government, Griffith was described a few days ago by National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds as “a civilian with no power.” 

Prior to the Griffith suspension, a civil probe was undertaken on the procedures of awarding firearm licences. 

Allegations of wrongdoing were reportedly uncovered and that, along with other critical reports on Griffith, were leaked to journalists of the Express newspaper and promoted as media “investigation.” 

The leak was said to have been made by a senior government official. 

Griffith is challenging his suspension in court, and CounterPunchTT’s sources said the Government is likely to seek an out-of-court agreement. 

The settlement proposal is expected to come from attorney Russell Martineau.  

During the March 2018 parliamentary debate on Seepersad’s appointment to the PSC, Moonilal said it was “untenable” that she was also a Government-appointed director of Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA). 

He called the situation a conflict. 

In response, Rowley said he was disappointed that Moonilal viewed Seepersad serving on the CDA board as being “a lackey of the Government.”