Opposition leader Basdeo Panday wants a public investigation into last weekend's drugs and ammunition bust at the St Joseph Police Station in which officers found guns, ammunition, cocaine and marijuana hidden in the ceiling of the building.And he has demanded a "massive re-structuring" of the police service.
Acting police commissioner James Philbert ordered an immediate investigation and authorities have now transferred all but five officers from St Joseph to other stations along the East-West corridor.
Read the story: 40 officers transferred
In a news release, Panday blamed the Manning government and National Security Minister Martin Joseph, citing what he called the "poor implementation of change within the force and the failure on their part to establish a consistent standard of work ethic to prevent corruption in the police service."
Panday noted that in late 2007, Superintendent Chandrabhan Maharaj, then attached to the Southern Police Division, made serious allegations of corruption in the Police Service.
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"What we see now is a manifestation of his accusations, but nothing has been done to uproot rogue elements out of the system.
The former prime minister said the government has spend about TT$80 million on a consultancy team head by Prof. Stephen Mastrofski to transform and uplift the police service but so far "the PNM government is yet to make any headway on cracking into the partnership between rogue police officers and gangs."
Panday said citizens have lost faith in the police service and are living under self-imposed curfews or fleeing the country "while the government plays with their lives."
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