Two weeks ago, the President of the Republic in her words ‘spoke to the issue of the substantive appointment of commissioner of police’ and confirmed that ‘an order of merit list was delivered on 11 August 2021 to the OTP and withdrawn almost immediately’. OTP is a reference to the …
Read More »Daly Bread: All farcical and tangled up—between an evasive Govt and an unattractive Opposition
Many readers will recall the political controversies in which President Anthony Carmona, the immediate predecessor of our current president, was involved—arising out of the purported exercise of powers that he thought he had. As a result, citizens hoped that the presidency would return to calmer waters, not made turbulent by …
Read More »‘Should PolSC have been left in the dark?’ President says Merit List for CoP was received and ‘withdrawn almost immediately’
“[…] I confirm that an Order of Merit List in respect of the commissioner of police was delivered on 11 August 2021 to the OTP and withdrawn almost immediately thereafter that day. I therefore had no list from which a notification could issue. “[…] If there exists apparently credible information …
Read More »Noble: Fixing our ‘superfluous’ mess; how the Judiciary, President, and Prime Minister stood up
Within the last two years, the world has had two pivotal moments: the arrival of Covid-19 and the development of the vaccine. The virus started small but has taken lives and wrecked economies, changing the way we live forever. Even though ‘Operation Warp Speed’ delivered vaccines way ahead of schedule …
Read More »Daly: Prime Minister’s duty to ‘inform’ does not excuse PolSC Chair meeting or alleged instructions
Recent reference has been made to the Prime Minister’s constitutional duty to keep the President of the Republic informed of the state of affairs in Trinidad and Tobago in purported answer to public concern about an alleged meeting between an unnamed public official and the then Chair of the Police …
Read More »Daly Bread: Who is guarding the public interest, as public offices fall prey to political interference?
It is well known that in a functioning democracy checks and balances to guard against abuses of power are required in the public interest. In addition to the separation of the respective powers of the political executive (principally the Cabinet), the legislature and the judiciary, there are additional constitutional provisions …
Read More »‘Do the right thing please!’ Daly knocks ‘silence’ from President’s House over PolSC collapse
It is not surprising that this government, which has lost its way in a fog of authoritarianism, believes that it can dismiss the collapse of the Police Service Commission (the PolSC) as a trivial event for which it is not obliged to account. However, what does the President of the …
Read More »Daly Bread: Bliss’ secret meeting may have destroyed last trace of confidence in PolSC
On 22 September 2021, it became public knowledge that former member of the Police Service Commission (PolSC) and attorney-at-law, Roger Kawalsingh, had made a serious allegation of a secret approach to the Chair of the PolSC regarding the appointment of a Commissioner of Police (CoP) and outgoing CoP, Gary Griffith. …
Read More »Daly: No more cover-ups; unmask the ‘public official’ who approached Bliss Seepersad!
It is clear to many of us that both the approach made to the Chair of the Police Service Commission by an unnamed public official and her subsequent actions were questionable and probably involved breaches of the Constitution. Admirably, she has resigned. She is due our gratitude and thanks for …
Read More »Daly Bread: Continuing institutional failures; PolSC now looks as pliant as the rest
The manipulations of the appointment of a commissioner of police (CoP) consequent upon the expiry of the term of office of Gary Griffith are now out in the open and in the court. The court may provide such enlightenment as may be necessary concerning the character of employment governed by …
Read More »Daly Bread: Smoke and mirrors—the NGC’s ‘negotiations’ and CoP commess
In Smoke and Mirrors, Demi Lovato doubts her lover and asks: “Now that I see you clearer, I wonder, was I really happy? Now that I see you clearer, was it just smoke and mirrors?” An eighteenth century smartman is credited with the first use of a light projector to …
Read More »Daly Bread: Rapid-fire threats posed by Delta variant and CoP’s FUL flurry
The Delta variant is a rapid-fire version of the Covid-19 virus. It is capable of killing many and killing quickly. There are also a growing number of pediatric cases—children having been spared from the original virus. Two weeks ago the New York Times reported that ‘one in five ICUs (intensive …
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