Five police officers face disciplinary action for dereliction of duty

Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs has advised five officers from the Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB) that they are now officially under investigation for dereliction of duty on February 14.

Three of them did not report for duty to guard the private residence of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan; two others, who were supervisors, are under investigation for allowing the three constables to leave their posts without making proper arrangements to have them relieved.

On February 14, police officers from several divisions reported sick as part of a protest to force government to give them a better pay package.

Reports say the two constables on duty at the Philippine private residence of the Prime Minister complained of not feeling well and went to the San Fernando General Hospital for medical assistance.

Following that event, The PM's National Security adviser, Gary Griffith, recommended that soldiers be assigned to guard duties at the private residence and the home of the Attorney General.

Reacting to the notices, President of the Police Welfare Association, Anand Ramesar, said he considers the letters “distressing”.

He told the Newsday newspaper Gibbs as well as the Prime Minister and other members of Government had promised that there would be "no reprisal action against these officers”.

He added, “We have alerted the Commissioner to the fact that the association will not stand by and allow these officers to be treated with oppression in anyway whatsoever.

"The membership is now seeing ‘blue flu’ being transformed to a “blue tsunami” with a lot of nuclear leakages with the capacity to poison every effort of the present administration” Ramesar told the paper.

Ramesar is on record as saying that his association never sanctioned or supported the sickout action.

If the officers are found guilty, their punishment range from dismissal to loss of several salary or demotion.

While the officers in question claim that they did nothing wrong, Persad-Bissessar has called the sickout “drastic and dangerous” and as “acts of utter irresponsibility.”

In a statement to Parliament on February 18 she said: “As Prime Minister I can assure you this level of irresponsibility will not go unchecked.”