MCDONALD Jacob acted on political instructions in sending home 15 highly-paid contracted employees of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
The directive came from a government minister, CounterPunchTT could confirm.
Shortly after receiving the verbal order, Jacob called in the employees and summarily dismissed them.
The contract employees – who were largely retained to bolster TTPS’ image – are now seeing to recoup their lost earnings.
At least two of the workers – Francis Joseph and Lisa Ghany – were senior operatives in the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration of 2010 to 2015.
They were retained by then-Commissioner Gary Griffith to undertake various public relations functions.
The hiring took place in spite of public protests by Griffith about a shortfall in funding for operating TTPS.
Their jobs were not publicly advertised.
Government officials denied that the sacked workers were politically victimised, but claimed that the measure was part of a cost-cutting exercise.
Jacob has been kept on to run the TTPS on the basis of a tenuous law, which permits the appointment of an accounting officer.
