T&T Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Trinidad Express) – Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams has ordered an investigation into the discovery of “five grammes of a plant-like material resembling that of marijuana” at Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s Phillipine home more than two years ago.
The probe was ordered following receipt of a signed report at 2:00 pm yesterday by Williams from the head of the Special Branch confirming the discovery.
The Sunday Express this week published an article written by investigative journalist Denyse Renne, headlined “Smokeout”, which focused on an affidavit by Member of Parliament Jack Warner in which he stated he was part of a plan in 2013 to ensure there was no criminal probe into the discovery of marijuana at the private home of Persad-Bissessar.
Speaking to the Express on Monday evening in Tobago, Williams said there was “no report recorded in the Police Service concerning a matter like that”.
“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 publicly already said he doesn’t know anything about that report and he has confirmed that position to me, and I’ve asked him to put it in writing. So that’s the most I can say at this point in time,” Williams said.
At 5:55 pm yesterday, however, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Public Affairs Unit issued a release titled “Investigation Ordered into alleged discovery at Prime Minister’s Private Residence”.
The release, sent by the Police Service’s head of Corporate Communications Ellen Lewis, said in light of the Sunday Express article, Williams requested a report from the operational head of the Special Branch, Senior Superintendent Gary Gould, on the matter and he also called on the Senior Superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department/Criminal Records Office McDonald Jacob to verify if there were any official police records into the incident.
“The Commissioner of Police was advised by Senior Superintendent Jacob on Monday, June 15, 2015, of the absence of any official police record of the alleged discovery,” the release stated.
“However, today Tuesday, June 16, 2015, the Commissioner of Police was presented with a signed report from Senior Superintendent Gould, which confirmed the discovery of five grammes of a ‘plant-like material’ resembling that of 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 Phillipine.
“The report, which was submitted to the Commissioner of Police at 2:00 pm, stated that the discovery was made on Friday, April 19, 2013, at around 8:50 am by a member of Special Branch.
“Given the report now made available to him, the Commissioner of Police has ordered an investigation into the matter,” the release stated.
Assistant Police Commissioner Ainsley Garrick has been ¬appointed to conduct the investigation.
Warner gave hint on July 19, 2013.
