The acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams has announced that the police will launch a probe into the discovery of “five grams of a plant-like substance resembling that of marijuana” at the Phillipine, South Trinidad residence of Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar about two years ago.
The Express newspaper in an article headlined; “Smoke Out,” last Sunday said that former National Security Minister Jack Warner said that he was part of a plan by certain ministers to “cover up” the marijuana find at the prime minister’s home on April 12, 2013.
The acting top cop had told the media there “was no report recorded in the Police Service concerning a matter like this. I was the head of the Police Service at the point in time and that matter was not brought to my attention and clearly when I speak to the operational head of the Special Branch, who is named in the report, he has said publicly he doesn’t know anything about the report and he has confirmed that position to me.”
However, about two hours after Warner held a press conference to reveal details of another marijuana find on April 12, 2013 at the PM’s residence, while he was national security minister, the T&T Police Service sent out a media release entitled “Investigation Ordered into alleged discovery at the prime minister’s private residence.”
The commissioner said he was presented with a signed report from Senior Superintendent Gary Gould, which confirmed discovery of five grams of a “plant-like material” resembling marijuana, contained in a plastic bag in the male washroom of a gazebo on the western end of the prime minister’s private residence at the Phillipine on April 19, 2013.
But no mention was made about the other marijuana find on the grounds outside a window of the PM’s residence which Warner spoke about. At the time PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar was attending a conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
In a response, Persad-Bissessar said in a statement; “the police have commented on a substance they reportedly found on the common grounds outside of my residence more than two years ago. These grounds are under the control of state security services, including the army, special branch and the police. Many staff, workmen and other individuals are allowed by security services onto the property every day.
“I was out of the country when security services are reported to have made this discovery. Needless to say, I am horrified and disturbed to hear these reports. While the timing of this disclosure is clearly political (the election bell has rung), I have faith in the police to investigate their own conduct and that of all law enforcement professionals involved,” the statement said.
