The Government has agreed with a suggestion from the Director of Public Prosecutions to remove the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau (ACIB) from under the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs.
National Security Minister Stuart Young announced the decision to transfer the unit to the Police Service at Thursday’s post-Cabinet press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.
The move came days after the DPP Roger Gaspard, Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith and the T&T Transparency Institute called for the ACIB to be placed under the remit of TTPS.
The ACIB, which currently has 54 officers was created in 2002 to investigate corruption in the public sector. It was put under the AG’s Office to help with the successful conclusion of complex white-collar cases in public office. Among the investigations undertaken by the ACIB were the Piarco Airport, Inncogen and the desalination plant projects which involved allegations of corruption.
“The sole reason for doing this is that we do not want to allow and we are seeing on the horizon persons utilising this nefarious and nebulous argument really, that there has been political interference into our process,” Young said.
Once the transfer of the ACIB is made, Young said there would be no nexus of the Government in these investigations even from the resourcing point of view.
In going forward, Young said the TTPS will be 100 per cent responsible without any Government involvement in the pursuit of investigations of public officials and corrupt acts.
Young said from the time the DPP raised the issue, the Government immediately discussed it and came to a decision.
“If the DPP feels that way let us just transfer it out,” Young said.
The Police Commissioner yesterday welcomed the move promising that the unit would be instrumental in the fight against white-collar criminals.
“I was very clear from day one when I said I recommended to the relevant officials for considering for the ACIB to be placed under the TTPS. I am very grateful that the relevant authorities have agreed to place the ACIB where it is most appropriate,” Griffith said in a telephone interview.
Griffith said as part of the TTPS’ restructuring and modernisation process, the ACIB will now fall under an umbrella body called the Financial Investigative Division (FID) which will tackle white-collar crime.
The FID will also incorporate the Financial Investigation Branch, Fraud Squad and the Cybercrime Unit whose mandate will be to fast-track investigations.
Meanwhile, president of the T&T Police Service Social Welfare Association Insp Michael Seales said the shift of the ACIB from the AG’s office was “a breath of fresh air because there is no hint of political interference as most persons would have argued.”
Seales said Griffith can now dictate to the ACIB as to how they proceed with their investigations, some of which have been outstanding for years.