The Congress of the People (COP) yesterday issued a letter to the director of the Police Complaints Authority, Gillian Lucky, to investigate Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs on the police raids on Newsday and the home of reporter Andre Bagoo. Chairman of COP, former national security minister Joseph Toney, delivered a letter to the PCA yesterday morning. That was the second initiative of the COP, which is a member unit of the People's Partnership Government, to have Gibbs explain what COP political leader Prakash Ramadhar condemned the police action, saying it was an "atrocious attack" on the media.
About nine officers from the Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau raided the newspaper's office and the home of its reporter Bagoo last Thursday. On Friday, Ramadhar gave Gibbs a 24-hour ultimatum to explain the reasons for the raid. He said if Gibbs did not heed the call the party had other plans to have the matter addressed.
Yesterday morning, Toney delivered the letter to the PCA requesting that Lucky "investigate the conduct of the Commissioner of Police and or any of his officers in this most misguided action against the free press in our country." Speaking at a news conference at the party's Port-of- Spain office, Toney said the police action was a "most distasteful attack on the media."
Commenting on Gibbs statement, which was published in the press yesterday, Toney said it was "most inadequate." He said the investigation was "more than necessary," based on Gibbs' reported statement in the press. Gibbs said the police were searching for evidence. Toney said the nation would like to know what was the alleged criminal activity committed by Newsday and Bagoo. "That seems to be the missing piece in this jigsaw puzzle of the raid of the police at Newsday and at the home of Mr Bagoo," Toney insisted. "What criminal activity is Newsday (and) Mr Bagoo engaged in that requires the police to search for evidence?" Toney asked.