Manning upset about firing of security guards he hired

Former prime minister Patrick Manning is upset with a decision to fire 50 members of the Executive Security Services (ESS) he hired in 2007 to provide security at the official residence of the Prime Minister and Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s. 

He issued a statement Monday in which called the decision "retrograde" and suggested that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the people of T&T might have cause to regret that decision. 

Manning stated that it was in 2000 that the UNC Government added extra security for Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, who was the Attorney General at the time.

Manning said Maharaj took steps in 2001 “by appointing Mr Mervyn Giuseppi, former assistant commissioner and Head of the Special Branch, to lead the way in the establishment of the unit.” 

He added that the unit continued to operate at the AG’s office until 2007 at which time “we recognised the need for specialised arrangements to improve the protection of the head of Government.”

Manning stated that all personnel in the unit were employees of the state and warned that the government's moves "is a most dangerous trend in our plural society.”

Read the story: PM's security staff drastically cut; army moves in