Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi intends to meet with Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith to explore solutions after a Special Branch report highlighted that state contracts were being awarded to criminal elements by two regional corporations.
Speaking to reporters after addressing a class at the Lok Jack School of Business yesterday, Al-Rawi indicated that he was already in discussions with the commissioner but would meet with him next week when he returns to the country.
He explained that while there was Anti-Gang legislation which allowed police to prosecute gang members, they have been experiencing challenges with gathering the evidence.
Though he is excited to work with the police on a solution, he emphasised that it must be one rooted in law.
“Because the concept of blacklisting or the concept of blocking must be based upon reasonable grounds and reasonable grounds must be based upon evidence and evidence must be cogent. Therefore, there is a gap between idea and implementation. We are working on that solution,” he said.
Al-Rawi was responding to a Guardian Media investigative report on Wednesday which revealed that seven reputed gang leaders in north Trinidad have benefited from state contracts worth close to $6 million. The CoP has blamed this practice for fuelling gang wars which has contributed to an upsurge in homicides in the past 15 years.