Deosaran on minister’s call to discipline cop: Griffith must follow protocol

Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Prof Ramesh Deosaran says the organisation cannot intervene in a complaint lodged by Dr Rupert Griffith against a police officer until it goes through the proper procedural chain. 

However, he said the minister had three options available if he wants to pursue any matter involving the conduct of an officer.

On Wednesday, Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar dismissed a charge against Griffith, who is the MP for Toco/Sangre Grande and Minister of Science and Technology. 

He was charged with using insulting language “to the annoyance of persons” during an incident on March 8, 2012, at Dock Road, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. He had pleaded not guilty.

After the case was dismissed, Griffith called on National Security Minister Jack Warner to pursue and discipline police officers who bring the service into disrepute by abusing their power and insulting and mistreating law-abiding citizens. Griffith also called for the officer who laid the charge against him to be disciplined. 

Deosaran explained, however, that the commission was bound by certain restrictions and could not get involved at the moment. 

In a brief interview on Wednesday, Deosaran said: “The first port of call is the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), then the police complaints division within the TTPS, and then on to the Police Commissioner.

“If it becomes a problem from the CoP’s standpoint, only then will the Police Service Commission step in,” he added.

Deosaran admitted that while the commission “had oversight functions over the CoP and his deputies, it depends on how the matter goes in the first three steps. 

“Then we can intervene at that point,” he said.