POLITICS IN DISMISSAL OF TTPS’ 15

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.