AS CoP Trevor Paul faces one of the biggest tests to his professional integrity in the investigation of an alleged political plot to plant cocaine and missile in the water tank of Opposition Senator Sadiq Baksh, the onus is on him to get cracking on questioning Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Point Fortin MP Larry Achong, Public Administration and Energy Minister Dr. Lenny Saith, People’s National Movement (PNM) deputy chairman John Donaldson, ex-Jamaat al Muslimeen member Bilaal Abdullah and all others whose names are associated with a signed statement sent to the commissioner by ex-US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) associate Vernon Paul.

Commissioner Paul must not allow political officials in the Ministry of National Security, or in the government for that matter, to manipulate or pressure him into making vacuous public relations comments with respect to a serious investigation.

First and foremost, he should make direct contact with the DEA to check the bonafides of Vernon Paul’s involvement with that Agency and not rely on a vaguely worded press statement from a public relations official at the US Embassy on that issue.

In any event Vernon Paul’s status with the DEA is not the issue, the issue is his evidence concerning the alleged plot involving the hierarchy of the government and ruling party.

CoP
TREVOR PAUL

VERNON PAUL

SADIQ BAKSH

Further, if Commissioner Paul is relying on a media statement to discredit Trevor Paul as having no involvement with the DEA, then he should also rely on media reports that feed information that would advance the investigation.

Also, the issue behind whether the information received was contained in a signed or unsigned statement, should be no reason for failure to investigate.

Does not the Commissioner endorse Crime Stoppers for offering rewards to persons providing information via the telephone on criminal activities?

There are no signed statements in this crime-fighting initiative.

The whole philosophy behind the Crime Stoppers initiative is anonymous information provided via telephone without the need for any signed statement as an innovative method of gathering criminal intelligence from ordinary members of the public who remain anonymous and are not required to give a signed statement.

The police have acted on such information on numerous occasions with great success.

Even Commissioner Paul and National Security Minister Martin Joseph have boasted about this.

Lest he leaves no stones unturned in trying to get to the bottom of the cocaine and missile planted in Sadiq Baksh’s water tank, the public would be justified in believing that attempts are being made to cover up the whole ugly matter that could only have been conceived by a clever criminal mind.

Failure to bring closure to this matter will contribute to members of the public losing faith in the Police to handle sensitive criminal investigations and by extension deal with the runaway crime situation that appears to be getting worse by the day.

Vernon Paul has indicated that he was willing to provide more details of the alleged plot to frame former United National Congress (UNC) San Fernando East MP Baksh on the eve of the 2002 election campaign, following the 18-18 electoral deadlock a year earlier.

Commissioner Paul must provide the necessary security and protection arrangement for Vernon Paul to provide all the evidence he has with respect to this serious matter.

To do otherwise would only strengthen claims in the affidavit evidence of Assistant Commissioner of Police Dennis Graham about subservient and sycophantic nature of the relationship between senior policemen and the ruling PNM party.

Having said that, it is also incumbent on President George Maxwell Richards to take a little time off from some of the Carnival fetes and give serious consideration to setting up an independent commission of enquiry into this entire affair.

His Excellency should take note of the British-led enquiry into the accident death of Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed following concerns raised about the number of conspiracy theories over the deaths back in 1997.