Rowley wants AG muzzled; demands apology to CoP

Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley demanded in Parliament Friday that Attorney General Anand Ramlogan make a public apology to acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert.

Rowley was reacting to Ramlogan's strong criticism of the police chief for failing to properly protect the site of the controversial church on the Heights of Guanapo in Arima that is linked to former Prime Minister Patrick Manning and his spiritual adviser, Rev. Juliana Pena.

The contractors - Shanghai construction - abandoned the construction site in May and since then there has been periodic looting of material.

Earlier this week, two people were injured when a scaffolding collapsed and destroyed a section of the incomplete building. The men were scavenging for supplies.

Read the story: Part of Guanapo church collapses; looters move in

On Thursday an angry Ramlogan blamed the police commissioner for dragging his feet on the matter and suggested that he could be fired for not properly doing his job.

"If the Police Commissioner doesn’t have good explanation and answers as to why he failed to act, it would then be a matter for the Police Service Commission."

Philbert was equally angry in his response stating that Ramlogan showed "contempt, disdain, bias and animosity for the office of Commissioner of Police" and arriving at "a hasty conclusion" without consulting him.

Read the story: AG "mad, upset and vexed", suggests that Philbert could be fired

Rowley told the House of Representatives Ramlogan's comments amounted to “open guerrilla warfare” against Philbert.

He said the Opposition is "not prepared to tolerate any more foolishness from the AG.”

Rowley suggested to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that she "put a muzzle and a short leash on the Attorney General, and put him in a box until the next election because he seems not to know when he is out of Government and when he is in Government."

Rowley added: "The country deserves better and I think he ought to provide an apology to the Commissioner of Police because this country knows that Philbert was on his way out of office but his term was extended and extended."