Cops to decide next move today

Head of the Police Service Social and Welfare Association, acting Insp Anand Ramesar, will return to his members today, after a meeting with National Security Minister Jack Warner on the contentious Defence (Amendment) Bill yielded nothing significant yesterday. “It was the hope of this executive to leave the meeting with the opportunity to address their concerns,” he said. “We are convinced more than ever now that our membership will have serious concerns with that legislation and unfunctionality in the service.

“It leaves us more worried than ever in terms of how it will impact on our membership,” a visibly upset Ramesar told journalists outside the ministry at Temple Court, Port-of-Spain. Ramesar said the association’s executive was not able to change the minister’s mind on the proposal to precept soldiers and nothing was said to alleviate the concerns of their members.

Minister of Housing and the Environment and deputy political leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Dr Roodal Moonilal, who was also at the meeting, said the Government would now consider various amendments to the bill. Moonilal said the issue of a minister having the ability to give directions to soldiers who are on police duty was a key issue. “We are contemplating an amendment to deal with that, to remove completely any authority of a minister or politician to direct soldiers when they are exercising police duties.”