Security Centre man back in T&T

Director of the National Security Operations Centre Garvin Heerah reportedly returned to the country yesterday. However, the T&T Guardian was unable to contact him at his office yesterday for comment on the Flying Squad issue. 

When a T&T Guardian team visited his office at Riverside Plaza, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, staff offered conflicting statements on his whereabouts. After being informed of the name of the media house, an official told the T&T Guardian: "We thought he was in the office but were told he left to attend a meeting at the Ministry of National Security."

Another official said: "Mr Heerah has not returned to T&T." Internal e-mails from the Ministry of National Security showed Heerah was aware that premises were being sought last year for the New Flying Squad Investigation Unit. 

Eight vehicles for the unit were leased from Miscellaneous Marketing Ltd, El Socorro, after Heerah gave the go-ahead. Heerah answers to the Ministry of National Security which is headed by Jack Warner.

Warner said Heerah was expected to return to the country over the weekend and was due to submit a report on the squad in 24 hours. E-mails showed the ministry's accountant, Rocky Pacheco, was also in contact with members of the NFSIU. Retired police inspector Mervyn Cordner has repeatedly claimed Warner recalled him to head the unit.

Warner, however, has denied any knowledge of the NFSIU and said those culpable would be "dealt with." Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is head of the National Security Council, and who last year left it up to Warner whether the unit would be set up, has ordered him to submit a report following the revelations. 

The unit, which has to be sanctioned by the Commissioner of Police (CoP),  operated outside the T&T Police Service. The acting CoP has also said he was unaware of the NFSIU until he read the T&T Guardian story that exposed its illegal setting-up.