Miscellaneous Marketing Ltd, a company that leases unmarked vehicles to the T&T Police Service, supplied eight vehicles to the secretly revived new Flying Squad so the unit could start work last year.Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams yesterday confirmed that unmarked vehicles were leased from the company.
"We rent vehicles from numerous companies and Miscellaneous Marketing Ltd is one of those companies. The T&T Police Service owns marked and unmarked vehicles but we lease vehicles to supplement where we have shortages. I have nothing more to say on the matter," Williams said.Newly-appointed director of the National Security Operations Centre (NSOC) Garvin Heerah gave the go-ahead for the vehicles to be released to the unit.
Whether Heerah was acting on his own when the lease agreement was made is unclear, given that the NSOC falls under the purview of the Ministry of National Security, which is headed by line minister Jack Warner.It is also uncertain whether Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is head of the National Security Council, was aware of the arrangement.
Sources said Persad-Bissessar, who was due to return from a Caricom meeting in Haiti today, is expected to request a report on the matter. The vehicles leased to the New Flying Squad Investigations Unit (NFSIU) comprised four Nissan X-Trails, two Mitsubshi Tritons, a Nissan Cefiro and a panel van. Heerah is reported as saying the vehicles were loaned by a civilian.
Investigations show the directors of Miscellaneous Marketing Ltd are Sham and Rachel Mohammed, of Temple Street, Duncan Village, San Fernando.The registered office of the company is listed as 12 Bootan Street, Don Miguel Road, San Juan. The company's profile at the Ministry of Legal Affairs registry in Port-of-Spain shows the company was incorporated on April 27, 2006.
When the T&T Guardian visited the company yesterday, a national security panel van was parked outside the building and there were marked and unmarked police cars on the compound.Asked if it was possible to speak to Mohammed, an employee who wished not to be identified said he had gone to a meeting at the Ministry of National Security.On Tuesday, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley called on the PM to clear the air on the new Flying Squad.
Internal e-mails from the Ministry of National Security showed Heerah helped the unit find a base in Aranguez, though it was eventually set up at Factory Road, Golden Grove, Arouca.Warner has denied any knowledge of the unit operating and has requested a report from Heerah, who is expected to return to T&T tomorrow after attending a conference in Argentina.