Cabinet will tomorrow discuss a proposal to shift the Anti Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) from the Attorney General's office back to the Police Commissioner's purview, according to Attorney General Anand Ramlogan. During yesterday's Senate lunch break Ramlogan told reporters he would take a note to Cabinet on the issue. This followed last week's police raid by ACIB officers on Newsday. The unit had been shifted to the AG's department under former AG Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj.
Yesterday, Ramlogan said it was being transferred back to the police jurisdiction since it is a police unit and properly belongs there. He said there was no point having it under the AG's Ministry's if the AG had no control, say or involvement of the unit. He said he only had administrative input and it was an an "administrative humbug." Ramlogan expressed concern that the ACIB had "limped along" with investigations concerning Juliana Pena and ex-Udecott head Calder Hart.
Ramlogan said the shift back to the police was a "formidable signal" by the PP administration that it would not exercise political muscle through the police. Ramlogan also said he had noted that the Police Commissioner had given a generic response on the Newsday raid. Ramlogan also criticised the staking-out by police of Newsday reporter Andre Bagoo's home. He said there was no need for this unless Bagoo was a suspect in a criminal matter and as far as he knew, Bagoo was not. Ramlogan said the situation jeopardised the partnership between police and public and could erode confidence in the police.