Trinidad’s Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Trinidad Express) – The Government is expected to spend over TT$5 million to buy out the leave of senior police officers.
Sources told the Express yesterday a list is being finalised to hand over to National Security Minister Carl Alfonso to facilitate the purchase of leave of Senior Supt Johnny Abraham, Senior Supt David Abraham, Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenn Hackett, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ann Marie Alleyne-Daly and Assistant Supt Oswald Davis and others.
Contacted for a comment yesterday, Alfonso confirmed he has been having talks with acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams.
“We have discussed it. I don’t know who all the officers are, I know at least two. The list is not complete yet and I haven’t gone to Cabinet yet,” he said.
Asked whether it was Williams who came to him with the idea or vice versa, Alfonso said: “It would be on the recommendation of the commissioner. I have no problem with it at all. I can’t remember who approached who, but we did speak about it and it was a pleasant discussion.”
Numerous efforts to contact Williams yesterday were unsuccessful as all calls to his cellphone went unanswered.
Last year, following a decision by the Government to rescind its decision to blank the purchase of the leave of Assistant Commissioner of Police Wayne Dick, Williams had told the Express in an interview on May 13 that he won’t be recommending buying out officers’ leave.
Dick headed the Homicide Bureau then and was overseeing the murder investigation of attorney Dana Seetahal SC.
His involvement in that case as well as other high-profile cases had prompted a note to Cabinet by Labour Minister Errol McLeod that his leave be bought out.
This decision was made without Williams and, following the Express expose, Dick was sent on leave rather than his leave being bought out.
Following this, Williams gave the undertaking that no officer would have their leave bought.
