10/12/2022
National Transformation Alliance
Media release
10th December, 2022
*Rowley throws Former head of the Police Service Commission Bliss Seepersad under the bus.*
The facts:
After meeting with Prime Minister Keith Rowley at President’s House, Former Chairman of the Police Service Commission Bliss Seepersad, ILLEGALLY withdrew the merit list for the appointment of the Police Commissioner which she delivered to the President. We know it’s illegal, because according to the minutes of meetings of the Commission, the withdrawal was done WITHOUT the permission of the other members, Roger Kewalsingh, Susan Craig-James and Courtney McNish, who all resigned in disgust because of persons acting outside the ambit of their authority, be it the Prime Minister or their Chairman Bliss Seepersad.
Having previously admitted, after much speculation, and a very lengthy time, that he Keith Rowley, met with Bliss Seepersad at President’s House and gave her a document, on the day Seepersad delivered the merit list for the appointment of a new Commissioner to President Paula May Weekes, Rowley in an official release today, denies any wrongdoing, and appears to wash his hands of the situation, in response to opposition queries.
But Rowley’s response exposes him to some key follow-up questions that are asked below.
1) Rowley said he delivered the Barrington Report to Bliss Seepersad, but how could it be a report when it wasn’t signed by the two persons initially assigned to investigate, and it was only signed off by Barrington, making it a mere document, that could have been made by any other citizen?
2) How did Rowley know the exact date and time Seepersad was scheduled to be at President’s House to deliver the Barrington document?
3) Why did Rowley choose to meet with Seepersad at President’s House and not simply send Barrington’s document as official correspondence to the Police Service Commission?
4) The Barrington document was received by Rowley in late 2020, why then the apparent urgent need to deliver this document to Seepersad at President’s House some 8 months later?
5) If whatever is in the Barrington document was so urgent or damaging, that Rowley felt the need to circumvent mailing protocol and meet with Seepersad at President’s House, why did Rowley hold the contents of the document for 8 months or so, before passing it on to Seepersad? This was also a big concern for the other members of the PolSC, who expressed their disgust that Prime Minister held this information for 8 months.
6) If the contents of the Barrington document is so damaging, did Rowley share it with the TTPS, the Police Complaints Authority, the Director of Public Prosecutions, or any other pertinent state or investigative agency? And if not, why?
7) Having now denied any wrongdoing in the matter, saying he just shared a document, is Keith Rowley as Prime Minister and as head of the National Security Council, concerned about the revelations, exposed about 2 months ago when minutes of meetings of the Police Service Commission, which were received through freedom of Information requests, show that Bliss Seepersad acted unilaterally and ILLEGALLY, by withdrawing the Merit list for the appointment of the new Commissioner of Police?
Now that Rowley’s attempt to clear the air, perhaps as a result of legal advice, has been made to the public, it is now clear that present head of the TTPS, Erla Christopher, must immediately act on this information by interviewing all the members of the last Police Service Commission, Kewalsingh, McNish, Craig-James and Seepersad herself.
Rowley should also be interviewed, and his official statement go on record with the TTPS, because it is a fact, according to the Minutes of board meetings of the PolSC, that someone broke the law, and if Rowley’s statement remains the same, then official charges should be immediately proffered against Bliss Seepersad for Misbehaviour in Public Office and possible sedition. Christopher will also be advised to take a long hard look at McDonald Jacob’s role in this regard, since he too might be subject to Misbehaviour in Public Office charges, for not diligently investigating the particulars of this crime, that has denied the country the appointment of a substantive Commissioner of Police for over a year now, and for which has personally benefited Jacob, who has served as Acting CoP, in that time. Is himself denying an investigation because it benefits himself?
In the final analysis, even with his denial, many in the public will continue to have doubt, since Rowley also apparently attempted to influence the new Justice Jones led PolSC, when he sent the audit report into fi****ms to them, despite having to later admit that the report was flawed, because there was a failure on the investigator’s part to practice basic rules of natural justice. This coupled with accusations of attempting to influence investigations into political opponents, and the Nelson matter, which appears to show state overreach in attempting to prosecute opposition members, this Keith Rowley led government has serious credibility issues, and justifiably so, because after Emailgate which was shown to be false information, and after saying he wasn’t closing down Petrotrin, and then he did, Rowley is now faced with the prospect of Seepersad saying he influenced her, or that he intimidated her into withdrawing the merit list, which was done so illegally. If she does not contradict the Prime Minister however, then she is admitting that she made this decision to break the law on her own accord, and she should immediately face charges.
Gary Griffith
NTA Political Leader
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: 482-Gary [4279] / 483-Gary [4279]
